Someone once opened a door for each of us. Now it is our turn to hold that door open for the next generation.
One of the things we value most about our Sikh community is the principle of seva, using what we have been given in service to others. This January, we have an opportunity to put that principle into action by supporting students and trainees who want to attend the North America Sikh Medical Association annual meeting.
This is about much more than helping someone attend a conference.
It is about creating a space where Sikh students and trainees know that they belong.
Imagine being early in your journey in medicine, dentistry, or another health profession and walking into a room filled with Sikh physicians, dentists, educators, researchers, and healthcare leaders. It is an opportunity to meet people who may understand your identity, your family, your faith, and some of the unique experiences that come with navigating a career in healthcare as a Sikh.
That sense of belonging matters.
Many of us remember what it was like navigating our own paths without an established network of Sikh mentors, role models, and colleagues to turn to. We learned through experience, found mentors where we could, built relationships over time, and sometimes faced challenges that felt like ours to navigate alone.
But the next generation should not have to face every challenge that we faced simply because we did.
We now have the opportunity to create something that many of us wish we had earlier in our careers: a community where Sikh students and trainees can find mentorship, friendship, professional opportunities, and perhaps most importantly, a sense that they belong.
Yet many students and trainees simply cannot afford the travel, lodging, registration, and other costs of attending a national meeting. At exactly the point in their careers when mentorship and community can be so meaningful, finances should not be the reason they are unable to be in the room.
Together, we can change that.
One introduction can become a mentorship.
One conversation can lead to a new opportunity.
One role model can change how someone imagines their future.
And one weekend surrounded by a welcoming community can remind a young Sikh healthcare professional:
I belong here. There is a community for me. And there is a place for me in this profession.
For those of us who have benefited from the mentorship, generosity, sacrifice, and opportunities provided by others, this is our chance to pay that forward through seva.
We are not simply helping someone attend a meeting. We are investing in belonging. We are investing in mentorship. We are investing in opportunity. And we are investing in the future of our Sikh healthcare community.
Let us give the next generation some of the relationships, resources, community, and opportunities that many of us had to spend years finding on our own.
Give them a seat at the table today, so that someday they can create seats for those who follow them.
Youth Development
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