Student’s SUPER offer

Local Douglass student gets unique opportunity

By: Candice Leigh Helfand
   MONROE — One local Rutgers student has been given the opportunity to take her college education one step further.
   Douglass College, the all-female college at Rutgers, has offered Jacqueline Medina, 19, a chance to participate in their Project SUPER — Science for Undergraduates: a Program for Excellence in Research.
   Ms. Medina is a sophomore at Douglass College, expecting to graduate in 2009. She is also a Monroe Township High School alumna, from the class of 2005.
   She plans to major in cell biology and neuroscience, and is considering adding a minor in chemistry to her plate.
   Though only in her second year, Ms. Medina has her goals set.
   "I am currently working toward admission into the RU Graduate School of Education for a 5-year (bachelor of arts/master of science in engineering) program to teach high school biology," Ms. Medina wrote in an e-mail. "As an alternate career path, I may go into research."
   Project SUPER is offered exclusively to Douglass College students, and Ms. Medina (as well as other incoming Douglass freshmen) were informed about it through a brochure sent to their homes with their admission notifications.
   Women interested in Project SUPER had to write an essay, obtain letters of recommendation, be in good academic standing and have a strong track record.
   The program is specifically geared toward encouraging women to explore fields such as math, science, engineering and others that have previously been under-represented by women.
   Ms. Medina and the other seven women involved in Project SUPER will be offered paid research internships, career and professional development retreats, advanced research opportunities, travel grants and the opportunity to shadow someone who already does what they want to do.
   University labs, workshops, and hands-on experiments will also be offered as a part of this program.
   "Project SUPER is a great way for me to network with scientific professionals and like-minded peers," said Ms. Medina. "I also utilize the program’s professional development practices."
   Alumnae of Douglass College also advocate the program.
   "It is through special opportunities like Project SUPER that Douglass College continues to teach young women that there are no boundaries to the fields of study in which they can excel," said Sheila Kelly Hampton, president of the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College, in a press release sent by the association.
   In the end, it’s all about what the students get out of it.
   "This project exposes college women to many other students just like themselves," Ms. Medina said.
   "Whereas science feels male-dominated in high school, SUPER creates an enriching environment for scientifically oriented women to form networks and sharpen their skills."