Health equity and adolescent health: a call to action for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

e I am truly honored to stand here before you ready to assume he 41st presidency of the Society for Adolescent Health and edicine (SAHM). Thank you for allowing me the privilege to erve in this capacity. Many years have passed since I attended y first SAHMmeeting in Chicago in 1993, where I was asked to resent a poster presentation as a pediatric resident on behalf of researcherwho could notmake it, and at that time Iwas already xpecting to go to an adolescent fellowship in the Fall. Thus, ttending themeetingwas a great opportunity. It seemed as if so any people were having fun, talking and showing their reearch. I felt like an outsider at that time because I didn’t know nyone, but I enjoyed looking at the research and was energized t the prospect of one day becoming a part of the action. After all hose years, I stand now with the responsibility to ensure that uture trainees can participate in our conference and feel as hough they are a part of the action and yearn to become active embers. Throughout the course of my career in adolescent health, here have beenmany in this roomwho supported me. I want to cknowledge and thank all of you. In particular, I want to thank harlie Irwin and Renee Jenkins who have both supported me, ounseled me, and opened up opportunities for me all along the ay. Now, I am honored to assume the role of President of AHM and to walk in the footsteps of both Renee and Charlie. hey, as well as others, have been my mentors on this journey. entorship is a very important aspect of whatwe do, and people oth in academia and outside of academia are searching forways o formalize that special relationship that develops between entor and Mentee over time. I cannot give you a formula for ow Renee and Charlie affected my trajectory in such a positive ay. I can only tell youwhat I have learned from them. I can only ell you of my hopes, inspired by them, to help open up opportuities for others and to inspire others to bring someone else along n their journeys; to inspire young people as I was inspired. I earned that you don’t have to talk to yourmentee all the time to ave an impact, but you should be aware when key moments in career are near and check in. Sometimes it only takes one call, ne referral to change the course of someone’s career for the etter. I learned that, in return, the mentor benefits tremenously in watching others grow and mature and set off on their wn continuing to keep the mission of Adolescent Health alive. hus, in particular, I thank you Renee and Charlie for teachingme w