JAX 2020 college scholarship recipients Ariel Le and Elizabeth Schotten
Annual Scholarship recognizes students from underserved backgrounds pursuing careers in medicine.
The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2020 JAX College Scholarship Program: Ariel Le of Stratford, Conn., and Liz Schotten of Bath, Maine. The annual award provides $10,000 scholarships to students in Maine, Connecticut, and California. Scholarships are awarded to students from underserved backgrounds who will pursue a college degree and aspire to a career in biomedicine.
In addition to the financial award, JAX will facilitate internship programs for scholarship recipients throughout their college career, and sponsor annual campus visits.
“The JAX Genomic Education team encourages, trains, and enthusiastically supports bright students who plan to enter STEM careers,” said Charles WrayProvides direction and strategic leadership for training programs for undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows at JAX and for educational offerings for young scientists, teachers, professors and healthcare professionals.Charlie Wray, Ph.D. , vice president of education. “Congratulations to Liz and Ariel on receiving the JAX College Scholarship Award. We wish both of them luck throughout their higher education journeys.”
2020 Maine JAX College Scholarship awardee: Elizabeth (Liz) Schotten
Schotten will use the JAX College Scholarship for her undergraduate degree at Bowdoin College. She plans to major in pre-med biology, with a potential double major in mathematics.
Schotten, from Bath, Maine, is a 2020 graduate of Morse High School. While at Morse, Schotten received high honors, was a member of the National Honors Society, participated in JAX’s Maine State Science Fair, and hosted a blood drive for the American Red Cross.
2020 Connecticut JAX College Scholarship awardee: Ariel Le
Le will use the JAX College Scholarship at Georgetown University. She will major in health sciences, and plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant.
Le, from Stratford, Conn., is a graduate of Biotechnology Research & Zoological Sciences High School, a part of Fairchild-Wheeler Magnet School in Bridgeport, Conn. Attending STEM magnet schools sparked her interest in biomedical science. With a special interest in the use of stem cells in treating various diseases, Le conducted a high school capstone project on stem cells in cell-replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
During her high school studies, Le participated in the Questbridge Prep Scholars program and received the Quest for Excellence USA Award. She also earned first honors in all four years of high school and was a member of the National Honor Society and the Math National Honor Society.
The Jackson Laboratory College Scholarship Program
To date, the JAX College Scholarship Program has awarded $80,000 in scholarships to students from underserved backgrounds in Connecticut, Maine, or Sacramento County, California. This program supports students whose goals align with JAX’s mission to discover precise genomic solutions for disease, and is aligned with the Genomic Education team’s mission to create diverse and inclusive educational programs where students feel valued and empowered.
JAX Genomic Education’s initiatives aim to ignite the passion of future scientists, advance careers, and inform the general public about the unfolding promise of genetics and genomics. In addition to the JAX College Scholarship Program, the Genomic Education team hosts and sponsors the Summer Student Program, Teaching the Genome Generation, Maine State Science Fair, STEM Open Houses in Maine and Connecticut, and more.
About The Jackson Laboratory
The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with more than 2,300 employees. Headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine, it has a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, a genomic medicine institute in Farmington, Conn., and facilities in Ellsworth, Maine, Sacramento, Calif., and Shanghai, China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.