Thy Gifted Neighbor
Thy Gifted
Neighbor
About Thy Gifted Neighbor

People often see the destination without seeing the obstacles along the way.

TGN exists to make the road clearer for the person coming next. We cannot remove every obstacle someone may encounter, but we can help make sure they do not face it without guidance, information, or someone in their corner.

Adebola Giwa, MD, founder of Thy Gifted Neighbor
Adebola Giwa, MD
Founder | Physician-Scientist | Philanthropist | Entrepreneur
Cindy Giwa, BS, BSN, RN, co-founder of Thy Gifted Neighbor
Cindy Giwa, BS, BSN, RN
Co-Founder | Critical Care Nurse | Advocate
In the founder's words

Why TGN was created.

Thy Gifted Neighbor was born from our shared belief that talent and potential are everywhere, but access to guidance, opportunity, and support is not. That belief has been shaped by our own experiences and by the journeys of the people we have met, mentored, supported, and watched along the way.

Today, people may see where we are now and assume that the path to get here was relatively straightforward. It wasn’t. Along the way, we have seen firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate higher education, medicine, and professional life without the right guidance, connections, or roadmap.

Personally, much of what we know today was learned through experience—sometimes through opportunities, but often through mistakes, setbacks, and lessons we wished someone had helped us understand sooner. We were fortunate to overcome many of those challenges, but we have also watched talented, capable people encounter similar obstacles without the guidance, resources, or support they needed to move forward.

Those experiences helped shape what we wanted TGN to become: the kind of guidance, encouragement, and support we wish more people had access to.

Through TGN, we want to help people see what is possible, make informed decisions, avoid preventable pitfalls, and connect with the guidance and resources that can move them closer to their goals.

We believe that with the right mentorship, support, and opportunity, people can better recognize their strengths, develop their gifts, and achieve their potential. Our role is to help make the path clearer, build confidence along the way, and give people the tools and support they need to keep moving forward.

TGN exists to help people grow into what they are capable of becoming—and, in time, use their own gifts to help someone else do the same.

Thy Gifted Neighbor is, in many ways, the guidance and support we wish we had.

We want to use what we have learned — from our own journey, from the experiences of those around us, and from the people we have had the privilege of mentoring — to make the path clearer for the person coming next. TGN exists to help people avoid preventable pitfalls, make more informed decisions, connect with people and resources that can help them, and move forward knowing they do not have to figure everything out alone.

The Name

The meaning behind Thy Gifted Neighbor

The name draws on two ideas that reflect the heart of the organization.

Gifted01

The Parable of the Talents

The name Thy Gifted Neighbor is inspired by the biblical Parable of the Talents. In the story, a master entrusts three servants with a number of “talents”—a form of currency—and departs for a time. When he returns, two of the servants have invested what they were given and multiplied it, while one hid his talent in the ground, returning only what he was given. The master praises those who nurtured and grew their gifts, and rebukes the one who buried his.

The moral is timeless: the gifts we are given—whether knowledge, wisdom, or skill—are meant to be cultivated and shared, not hidden away.

At TGN, we believe those gifts grow in value when they are developed with purpose and used to create opportunity for others. What we learn, achieve, and receive can become something that helps another person move forward.

Neighbor02

Love thy neighbor as thyself

The call to love and care for our neighbors is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. In fact, the word “neighbor” appears more than 150 times, reflecting the importance of care, support, and caring for one another. At TGN, that principle sits at the heart of our mission. We believe our gifts are like seeds—meant to be shared, nurtured, and planted in others through mentorship, education, guidance, and support.

And to us, a neighbor is not simply the person who lives next door. In the biblical sense, our neighbor can be anyone we encounter—regardless of background, circumstance, or where they come from. It is a reminder that we are called to look beyond ourselves, recognize the needs and potential of others, and use what we have to help someone else move forward.

At TGN, we strive to be that kind of neighbor.

Gifted + Neighbor

A gifted neighbor is both someone who receives those gifts and grows from them, and someone who gives their own gifts forward—using their knowledge, experience, opportunities, and resources to help another person flourish.

Those roles can shift over time. The person receiving support today may be the one offering guidance or opportunity tomorrow.

That cycle of giving, receiving, growing, and giving forward is at the heart of Thy Gifted Neighbor.

“When one seed flourishes, the whole garden thrives—a garden of potential, purpose, and hope.”
The TGN cycle

Our gifts are meant to grow — and be shared.

  1. 01
    Receive guidance
  2. 02
    Grow your gifts
  3. 03
    Reach your potential
  4. 04
    Help the next person grow

…and the cycle begins again.

The biblical inspiration behind TGN is an important part of our story. Our programs are open and welcoming to people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

Who we serve

Support across the whole journey.

Talent and potential exist everywhere. Access to guidance and opportunity does not. For our youngest students, our role may simply be to plant the seed — to help a child think, "someone like me can become a physician, scientist, engineer, researcher, or technologist."

01
Grade school students

Curiosity, inspiration, and early exposure to STEM and medicine.

02
High school students

Preparing for college, choosing a direction, and understanding what to do early.

03
College, pre-med and STEM students

Direction, research and clinical experience, career planning, and professional development.

04
Medical students and graduates

Navigating training, residency preparation, and the next career step.

05
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES

Residency applications, the Match, professional development, and the U.S. healthcare system.

06
Mentors, partners and supporters

Physicians, STEM professionals, volunteers, donors, schools, universities, and organizations who want to help.

Our mission

Recognize potential. Navigate the path. Succeed.

Thy Gifted Neighbor empowers students and aspiring professionals to recognize their potential, navigate educational and career pathways, and succeed in STEM and medicine through mentorship, guidance, inspiration, education, and access to opportunity.

We support individuals across the full journey, and our mission is especially focused on people who may lack access to mentors, professional networks, representation, or reliable guidance.

What makes us different

We meet people where they are.

Every person arrives with a different background, set of goals, challenges, strengths, and circumstances. We understand the individual first, identify what they actually need, and provide guidance relevant to their specific journey.

Rather than generic advice or the assumption that one pathway works for everyone, TGN draws on lived experience, professional expertise, and practical problem-solving to help each person find their next best step.

When one person grows, they gain the ability to help someone else grow.

That is the heart of Thy Gifted Neighbor — and the reason every person we help is also someone's future mentor, advocate, or role model.