After reading books like the “One Last Wish" series by Lurlene McDaniel as an adolescent, Jaibyn dreamed of one day becoming a physician. “Finding the perfect college for me was a priority," she says. With that determination, Jaibyn toured over 10 colleges but always found herself drawn back to her first campus visit: Stevenson University.
“Stevenson provided students with flexibility that other schools could not offer. I knew I wanted to prioritize my studies and engage in a rigorous honors program. However, athletics and extracurricular activities were also a priority. Stevenson truly values a student’s will to explore different clubs and organizations while keeping academics at the forefront, which appealed to me as a student who likes to wear many hats and be involved,” Jaibyn remarks.
As a member of the Honors program—an exciting, four-year experience for academically talented students—Jaibyn has been able to tailor her coursework to her specific interests, choosing which subjects she would like to pursue at an Honors level. She says, “The Honors program has truly enhanced my Stevenson education. It has allowed me foster connections with a network of peers and professors, while also providing me with rigorous coursework that has boosted my resume and made me more marketable as a student.”
With Biology being a diverse field of study, Jaibyn has also been able to take a host of classes that explore many different topics: “I have taken not only biology classes, but also chemistry, physics, anatomy, and genetics classes! I like how I can have a well-rounded background.”
In 2019, Jaibyn participated in the Summer Health Professions Education Program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, sparked by a conversation with her Pre-Health advisor at Stevenson. During the program, she engaged in prerequisite courses, shadowed professionals, worked in the cadaver lab, and attended several medical conferences in New York.
Furthermore, during this past summer, Jaibyn had the opportunity to engage in research at Delaware State University—an internship she secured as a result of having had research experience at Stevenson through the Honors program. “I spent eight weeks investigating the transcriptome of Chinese hamster ovary cells to identify unstable genes. I had the opportunity to present my research at the end of the summer at Clemson University,” she says.
With these experiences under her belt, Jaibyn feels she has honed in on the essential skills needed for her career goals. “I truly recommend the Honors program to any student looking for a challenge and to gain something more out of their coursework. You will not only have opportunities to rigorously enhance your education, but also chances to network and engage in cocurricular events in a tight knit community.”
