Nia Jackson ’26 appeared recently on WTNH-TV, the ABC affiliate in New Haven, celebrating her summer spent in a prestigious Yale University medical internship for their ‘Good Morning Connecticut’ segment.
Nia was one of just 19 students from across the country who won a spot in the Discovery to Cure program, an internship in women’s reproductive cancers that offered her a chance to work side-by-side with medical scientists at one of the top research hospitals in the world. Breanna Craft, Ph.D., Cheshire Academy science department chair and one of Nia’s mentors, joined her in the interview, extolling her student’s virtues.
“I wasn’t surprised. Neither were any of her teachers,” said Craft, who attended Nia’s end-of-summer presentation to Yale New Haven doctors and researchers with fellow science teacher Makaila English. “She is motivated, exceptional, curious, organized, and driven.”
More than 200 high school students applied for the Yale program. Nia found out about it last year, while researching opportunities with her mother.
“It felt really amazing to be selected,” said Nia, who is head prefect and a soccer team co-captain.
While at Yale, Nia performed cell splitting, bacterial transformation, plasmid DNA extractions, and more. On Aug. 7, she presented her solo project, “ENPP1 Variants: Discovering the Impact of Early-Onset Metabolic Disorders.”
Nia’s weeks at Yale were made possible, in part, through a Cheshire Academy Venture Grant. Endowed by the Rizzolo Family in honor of former Head of School Jerry Larson, the grant allows students to supplement their classroom curriculum with experiential learning. Grants typically range from $500 to $2,000 for student-proposed projects that merge “academic curiosity, passion, and adventure.”
Venture Grants have helped students travel to Montana for an archeological project, complete the first draft of a novel, and fund a short film premiere, among many other endeavors.
