An Interview With Penny Bauder
Know when to ask for help: When I first started, I was pretty insistent on being self-reliant. I’ve always been an independent person, so I preferred to keep my issues to myself and struggle on my own. However, you should know when it’s better to work through a problem by yourself and when it’s better to reach out to someone for help.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Chu.
At age fourteen, Alexandra Chu founded MedCreate, an international non-profit organization dedicated to merging the worlds of medicine and creativity. Her organization promotes empathy and imagination as well as fosters a community of students who are enthusiastic about science and the humanities. She has impacted thousands of students all around the world through her work to bridge the divide between the two fields. Now sixteen, Alexandra is continuing to inspire Gen-Z by making an impact in healthcare and education all while juggling rigorous schoolwork and college applications.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit how you grew up?
Thank you so much for having me! I was born and raised in New York with two younger siblings. I used to live in Edgemont, but my family moved to Scarsdale in order for my siblings and I to receive a better education. My parents raised me to be intellectually curious, so I spent my childhood learning different sports, languages, and other activities. I currently attend Scarsdale High School, and I intend to graduate next year.
You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Many people think that science and the humanities have nothing in common, but this is not true. Science often requires creativity to make breakthroughs, and the humanities often require research and problem-solving to reach new limits. MedCreate hopes to end this common myth by educating and inspiring the next generation of healthcare leaders. Our organization works to accomplish this by helping students pursue their passions in medicine and in the arts through creative writing and art.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
I believe most people can relate when I say that throughout my childhood, one of the questions I most commonly received was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” From the very first time my mom asked me this question, I have spent years pondering the answer. The first thing that always pops into my mind is a dentist. Several members of my family work in dentistry, so it feels natural for me to want to follow in their footsteps. However, I also really enjoy the arts as a writer, artist, dancer, musician, and music producer. Over the years, I have written dozens of poems and short stories, and I have picked up multiple forms of art such as painting and quilling. I also run a YouTube channel to showcase hip-hop dance alongside my siblings. Beyond that, I play the violin and piano, and I produce music. With this many interests, I’m sure anyone would feel confused about what career path to go down. By the way, I’m also a figure skater and martial artist. At this point, I would be pretty surprised if anyone wasn’t confused.
I could never choose what I wanted to be when I grew up. But as I grew older, I slowly considered the possibility that I didn’t have to. Instead of picking between science and the humanities, I thought about combining the two. This is where the idea for MedCreate was born.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Great question! I often thought about launching my own organization, but I wasn’t sure if I had the experience, confidence, or skills needed. Because of that, I kept going back and forth about whether or not I should start MedCreate. The final trigger that made me decide to just do it was a spontaneous thought at midnight. I was lying in bed thinking about my research regarding science and the arts, and I randomly thought, “Hey, you know what? Let’s just do it.” Even though it was midnight, I rolled out of bed and quickly sent a message to a community chat saying I was starting an organization before I could change my mind. The next morning, I checked the chat and saw a couple of positive messages which gave me the confidence to continue. So, I sat down and got to work, and MedCreate was officially launched.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
I actually made a whole to-do list on the day I started to maximize my efforts. However, I didn’t realize how time consuming some of the tasks were, so it took me nearly a year to complete everything on the list. When I got started, the first thing I did was come up with a name for the organization. I came up with a couple of ideas (one of the names I originally considered was ‘MXC’), and then I sent them to my friends and asked them to vote on which ones they preferred. All of them liked ‘MedCreate,’ so that became the name of the project. After that, I created a new Google and Instagram account, and that was considered the official launch of MedCreate.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
There are a few interesting stories relating to MedCreate, but one of my favorites is about my family. To be honest, I haven’t told many people around me that I run an international organization. I felt that I would have a lot of eyes on me and a lot of pressure to do my job if I told people, so I decided to keep MedCreate as a secret project away from my friends and family. In fact, I can count the number of people I’ve told about MedCreate on one hand.
Anyway, about a month ago, I decided to tell my cousin about it since we were both bored and had nothing else to discuss. When I revealed what I had been doing in my spare time for the past year, she stared at me for a couple of seconds, and then she started bouncing off the walls in excitement. I spent the next ten minutes running after her in an attempt to stop her from telling the rest of my family about MedCreate. Even though I’m a few years older than her, her words and actions mean a lot to me, so when she started screaming and dancing, I was both touched and laughing really hard.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I made when I was first starting was not being clear about the intended audience for our team applications. MedCreate is a youth organization; it’s run by teens, and it’s made for teens. It’s stated in the bio of all of our social media and job-posting-site accounts, so I didn’t think I would need to write it again on the opportunity post itself. However, we started receiving applications from people in their thirties and forties, and there were even a few from people in their fifties and sixties. Because of that, we realized that we needed to add a sentence at the top of each post saying that we were looking for applicants between the ages of twelve and eighteen. The funny thing is, we sometimes still receive applications from people who clearly aren’t in that age group. We write the required age range in all caps and in bold in the first line of each opportunity post, but some people just don’t read it. It’s annoying sometimes, but we find it hilarious as well. Because of that experience, we now carefully word everything we publish online to make sure our message is easily understood and that there’s zero ambiguity.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
My family has, without a doubt, been the biggest influence on me. My dad often explains business concepts to me, and my mom gives great business-related advice. Even my younger siblings try to help out when they can. My family has always cheered me on, and I am eternally grateful.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
The people in MedCreate are the people who have been impacted the most by our cause. A few months ago, we asked our members to rate and review us on GreatNonprofits. When I checked the responses the next morning, I was really surprised that over a dozen people had already written a review. Many of them described how MedCreate was the first outlet that allowed them to pursue both science and the humanities. Seeing everyone’s sweet messages, I realized what a big impact my organization had on students who were enthusiastic about medicine and creativity like me.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
The main thing that society can do to help us address this challenge is to understand that science and the humanities aren’t mutually exclusive. The two of them work together in many ways, and the combination of the two is able to bring innovation to the world. Neither of them are more important than the other.
On a similar note, another thing the community can do is to stop asking students, or just people in general, to choose between the things they like to do. We hope that parents will avoid forcing their children to quit writing poems to become a surgeon or quit dancing to become a pediatrician. Rather, we believe that parents will encourage their children to pursue their hobbies instead.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Know when to ask for help: When I first started, I was pretty insistent on being self-reliant. I’ve always been an independent person, so I preferred to keep my issues to myself and struggle on my own. However, you should know when it’s better to work through a problem by yourself and when it’s better to reach out to someone for help.
- Take risks: Some people are risk-taking daredevils, and some people are cautious and unadventurous. Some risks pay off, and some don’t. It’s understandable that you might want to avoid possibly disadvantageous situations, but I don’t think you’ll ever get anywhere if you don’t take a chance now and then.
- Keep learning and improving: Most things in my organization run smoothly, but I’m always looking for ways to make them even better. For example, I’m currently looking for ways to improve our website and to make the application process to MedCreate more efficient.
- Know your limits: There’s nothing wrong with hard work, but it’s easy to burn out while you’re caught up in the thoughts of success. Understand when enough is enough, and take a break when needed.
- Network: As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to know when to ask for help. However, when you’re starting a business or an organization, you might not know who or what to ask. This is why I suggest networking (via LinkedIn, for example) to find people with similar interests who could be of help. Connecting with such experts can lead to opportunities and recognition.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Plenty of people have the knowledge and the passion to make a positive impact on society. However, no one can create change the same way you can. Everyone has different perspectives, experiences, and motivations which can change the way you act. No one is uniquely you, you should take advantage of your individuality to make a positive impact.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
There are so many people I would love to meet, so it’s really hard for me to pick just one. One person who has really inspired me recently, though, is Bailey Sok. She’s an incredible dancer, and she has choreographed some of my favorite songs in K-Pop. As a hip-hop dancer myself, I’m constantly amazed by both her movement and her attitude. Bailey’s only a year older than me, but she’s made such a huge impact in the dance world. She’s a figure I really look up to, so I would definitely choose her to be the person I’d like to have breakfast or lunch with!
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow MedCreate on Instagram (@medxcreate), Twitter (@med_create), Facebook (@medcreateusa), and LinkedIn (MedCreate, USA).
You can follow me on Instagram (@alex.mchu) and LinkedIn (Alexandra Chu).
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Penny is an environmental scientist-turned-entrepreneur. She’s worked as a climate scientist, an environmental planner, and a wilderness park ranger. Motivated by a passion to raise a generation of environmental leaders, in 2010 Penny founded Green Kid Crafts, a children’s media company that provides kids around the world with convenient and eco-friendly STEAM activities. Today, it’s become a leader in the subscription industry, with over 1 million packages shipped worldwide that have exposed a generation to think about and take a leadership role in sustainability. Penny, her husband Jeff, and her children Rowan and Declan live together in San Diego, California. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Management and an M.S. in Environmental Science. Penny has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management, strategy and finance. She’s a seasoned leader, an inspiring speaker, an encouraging business mentor, and a creative writer. You can learn more about Green Kid Crafts at https://www.greenkidcrafts.com/ and follow Penny’s stories and updates at https://www.instagram.com/greenkidcrafts/ and https://twitter.com/bauderpenny.
Young Social Impact Heroes: Why and How Alexandra Chu of MedCreate Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.