One of the great benefits of my job as President of the High Point Community Foundation is that I have a front row seat from which I can watch our Donors change lives through their generosity, innovation, and vision. This past Friday, I had the privilege of watching the 10th annual White Coat Ceremony for the 2025 Draelos Science Scholars Program at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in Greensboro, NC. For the past ten years Drs. Michael and Zoe Draelos have been organizing and underwriting an eight-week program in which this year 45 rising seniors will have the opportunity to work with University PhD’s and their graduate students as they conduct their summer research. This is their opportunity to work with the pros, to learn research techniques, build relationships with mentors, and have their names on published research papers. This is akin to a high school junior getting a chance to play for the Boston Red Sox and getting paid for it!
Ten years ago, Michael Draelos and I got to know each other after occasionally showing up late to our Rotary Club luncheons and playing hooky eating at The Dog House. I learned quickly that Michael and Zoe operate intellectually on an entirely different plane than I do (I barely made it through Biology 101 at HPC!). Michael was a Gastrointestinal Physician who played a key role in the establishment of Cornerstone Health Care, and he still has an adoring fan club from the practice from which he is now retired. Zoe has long been a highly respected Dermatologist who, along with Michael, built a research company that is both nationally and internationally renowned. Her work specifically focuses upon dermatology and cosmetology, in which she is an award-winning industry leader. If you walk down the skincare and cosmetics section at our local Walgreens, almost every product you will see has been researched by Zoe. They are a remarkable and dynamic duo who have also raised two sons, both Duke University MDs and PhDs, who like their parents got their start by engaging in research as high school students.
So, back in 2015, as Michael and I were enjoying our hotdogs and French fries, we began talking about giving other young people in our community the same research opportunities and the Draelos Science Scholars Program was born. They established a Donor Advised Fund at the High Point Community Foundation which manages all their back-office needs, and they make charitable gifts to the fund which in turn underwrites their program. These days their students are working with the brightest research minds at Wake Forest, UNC-G, A&T University, and the Nano Center which is partnership between UNC-G and A&T that develops cutting-edge nano technology. The Draelos Science Scholars are being exposed to science most students will not encounter until graduate school through working with advanced technology, even including operating electron microscopes! They are gaining firsthand experience and learning the ins and outs of scholarly research, all of which looks very impressive on college applications! As of this year, Michael and Zoe have sent over 250 young people through this program and they are single-handedly helping bridge the STEM divide in America and I could not be prouder of them.
I believe the very best philanthropy comes directly from the heart and that has been how I have worked with our Donors over the years. Everyone’s vision of impactful philanthropy is different, and I love learning about our Donors and finding needs in our community that connect with their passions and interests. Michael and Zoe believe that a lifelong career in science is rewarding and gratifying. So, for them, working with these young people who will make up our next generation of doctors, researchers, and teachers is a mission to positively impact our community.
It is a great privilege to work with folks who understand that our greatest achievements are often those we pass on to the next generation. For good… For High Point… Forever.
