About Us

Our Mission

The mission of REACH is to support education from cradle to career by providing innovative, hands-on STEM learning to underrepresented youth so they can reach their academic and professional potential; increasing postsecondary education and interest in health care and STEM careers.

Our Vision

We are developing a diverse talent pipeline for the healthcare workforce of the future.

Our Team

Rukiya Curvey Johnson

Executive Director

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Rukiya Curvey-Johnson serves as Director of the Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH). In addition to leading Rush’s community-based education and career outreach, Curvey-Johnson collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to reduce inequities caused by social, economic, and structural determinants of health.

Previously, Curvey-Johnson served as Executive Director of STEM & Strategic Initiatives at Chicago Public Schools. She led the development and execution of the district’s K-12 STEM strategy and the design of the CPS STEM Standards for Success, benchmarks to define and measure STEM-focused schools. As a champion and architect of a strategy to increase awareness, readiness, and success for under-represented students in STEM-related fields, she led the district’s Early College STEM High Schools to its first graduates with associate’s degrees in IT.

In prior positions, Curvey-Johnson managed large-scale federal school improvement grants to address the unique needs of students in under-performing schools and led a nonprofit social enterprise focused on promoting the arts from the African diaspora and improving literacy. With a commitment and passion for providing equitable access to high-quality education and career opportunities, Curvey-Johnson believes in the power of collective action to make a difference for our youth and the communities we serve. She is a member of the West Side United Education Steering Committee and several advisory groups for Chicago Public Schools.

Curvey-Johnson earned her MBA from the University of Michigan-Ross School of Business and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Natalia Gallegos

Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives

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Natalia Gallegos serves as Program Manager of Strategic Initiatives for the Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH). She also serves as a community engagement liaison as well as oversees research and evaluation of the REACH programs.

Prior to joining Rush last year, Natalia was the Manager of Community Engagement at Loyola MacNeal Hospital. Where she was responsible for leading and coordinating all hospital public relations, community-wellness and education initiatives. She was also responsible for managing and coordinating over 150 hospital volunteers of diverse ages and ethnicities in the operation of community, hospital, and support activities.

Natalia earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago-School of Public Health and a Bachelor in Healthcare Management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She is a member of Rush’s Immigrant Health Working Group and Disability Employee Resource Group. As well as a board member of UIC’s School of Public Health Alumni Board.

Lauren White

Program Coordinator

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Lauren began as Program Coordinator for Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH) August 2020.

Prior to joining REACH, Lauren served as a Program Manager for the Ronald McDonald House Charities Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. In this role, she managed the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Edward Hospital, managing the day to day operations, providing a home-like space for families who had sick children in the hospital.

Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Leadership from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. Lauren is currently a Master of Public Health Candidate at Benedictine University As a resident of the Westside of Chicago Lauren is excited for the opportunity to assist students with valuable experiences and opportunities for our future leaders in healthcare.

Angela Freeman

Impact Analyst

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Angela is the Impact Analyst for the Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH). In addition to working with REACH leadership and external partners to develop tools, identify and gather necessary data to inform operational and strategic outcomes, she will also lead and support a diverse array of projects, including informing a continuous improvement strategy for new programs and action tools that measure implementation and impact of interventions.

Prior to joining REACH, Angela served as a project manager in the Department of Health Systems Management in the College of Health Sciences at Rush. In this role she provided oversight of the Building Healthy Urban Communities initiative designed to improve education, employment and health outcomes of Chicago’s west and south sides through strategic partnerships with the Medical Home Network (MHN) and City Colleges of Chicago. She also holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the College of Health Sciences at Rush.

Angela earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Purdue University, a Master of Public Health in Community Health Sciences from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health and is a current Health Sciences PhD student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Her current research interests include epidemiology, sociology and geography in health disparities research, social and health policy, and workforce development in the health sciences. She is particularly interested in organizational practice, and the social-structural influences of upstream determinants on health system strategy and urban health outcomes.

Nia K. Benton

Program Development Associate

High School & College

[email protected]

Nia is the program coordinator and site supervisor for the REACH MedSTEM Pathways and College Career Pathways programs. Nia began her experience at Rush as a high school student and is an alumna of the SAME Network program, Rush’s original education outreach program. She began her career in youth education and career development during her junior year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received her Bachelor's of Science in Sociology.

Since the discovery of her skill and passion in youth work, she has instructed countless students in Professionalism and Improved Communication in the Workforce courses and mentored several students in college and career readiness.

Rachel L. Kosmal

Communications Specialist

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Coming Soon.

KanDace Curtiss

Community Education Associate

Middle School

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KanDace Curtiss is the primary program instructor for the Vitals for STEM Success Program (formerly CPEP), and for our Future Ready Learning Lab. Since a young age, KanDace has always had a passion for healthcare and science. She brings with her a wealth of experiences in science and health careers exploration as she holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in chemistry and a Master’s Degree in Health Education and Public Health from Chicago State University. Prior to joining Rush, she taught at the University of Chicago Charter School Network and worked as a chemist and in healthcare for several years. Many life experiences have motivated her to help different communities throughout Chicago in the field of science and healthcare, which she will continue to do at Rush.

Kimberly Bailey

Community Education Associate

3rd - 5th Grade

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Kimberly is a lifelong resident of Chicago and attended elementary and high school in the Chicago Public School system. She decided to pursue a career in education and working with families, so she earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Resources and Family Resources from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While teaching for the Chicago Public School system, she attended Loyola University / Erikson Institute and earned her Master’s Degree in Education. After nearly 20 years of passionate service educating Chicago students, Kimberly is now a part of the Rush Education and Career Hub. She hopes to continue to educate, inspire, and transform lives in the spirit of the Rush Mission and Values.

Ellen Vigil

Community Education Associate

PreK - 2nd Grade

[email protected]

Ellen Vigil has been affiliated with Rush University Medical Center since 1982. Her career began at Laurance Armour Day School, where she worked as a Teacher, School Age Services Coordinator, Assistant Director for Program Operations, and Educational Consultant. While raising her children, she was an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Early Childhood Education, an Accreditation Facilitator at Oakton Community College, and she worked for the Office of Catholic Schools at the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 2006, Ellen returned to Rush as a Community Education Associate in the Department of Community Affairs. She continues to support the work in the community through the Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH).

Ellen earned her Bachelor of the Arts in Early Childhood Education from the National College of Education and her Master of Education in Advanced Studies and Child Development from Erikson Institute. She is grateful for her journey and is honored to be a representative of Rush University Medical Center.

Our Legacy

Reginald "Hats" Adams
1940-2015

In 1990, Reginald “Hats” Adams, who led Rush’s Department of Community Affairs, developed the Science and Math Excellence (SAME) Network in response to the low science, math and reading test scores in public schools surrounding Rush on the West and Southwest Sides of Chicago.

In 2017, SAME transitioned and transformed into the Rush Education and Career Hub (REACH) as part of Rush’s broader strategy to be a catalyst for community health and economic vitality. The newly created REACH would serve as the strategic lead for PreK-16 education and career outreach across the Rush University Medical Center System.

Our Legacy

Reginald "Hats" Adams
1940-2015

Our Mission

Our Vision

We are developing a diverse talent pipeline for the healthcare workforce of the future.

Our Approach

We connect with students, parents, educators, and staff to spark and catalyze STEM learning in and outside the classroom; to design solutions and address challenges in their communities and beyond; improving overall community health. Through academic enrichment, mentoring, and internships; We are building a best-in class pipeline for STEM and healthcare fields.

Our Approach

School Partners & Supporters

Rush University Medical Center partners with elementary and high schools on Chicago's West Side to provide enrichment, community engagement, and career exploration opportunities for youth. Whether collaborating with Pre-K teachers on lessons to explore the five senses, bringing nutritionists in for healthy eating and nutrition lessons, or hosting career panels for high school students; we connect with students, parents, educators, and staff to spark and catalyze STEM learning in and outside the classroom.

Current School Partners

Helen M. Hefferan STEM Elementary School

Robert Nathaniel Dett Elementary School

Washington Irving Elementary School

Genevieve Melody STEM Elementary School

Josiah Pickard Elementary School

Michele Clark Magnet High School (Early College STEM)

Instituto Health Sciences Academy

Benito Juarez Community Academy

North Grand High School

We also serve as a community resource for West Side area schools.

Schools interested in learning more about the healthcare field or field trips to Rush, please submit an inquiry form.

Inquiry Form

Communities We Serve

Austin

Belmont Craigin

East Garfield Park

Humboldt Park

Lower West Side

Near West Side

North Lawndale

South Lawndale

West Garfield Park

West Town

Program Partners