Junior Vanessa Jackson has received the opportunity of a lifetime when she was selected for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. This program is for high school students who want to pursue a career with medicine. The convention is held in Boston, Mass. and many Nobel Peace Prize winners speak at the Congress. Jackson gets to meet Congressmen and women and even gets to meet the Surgeon General of the United States.
“I’ll be able to sit in on a surgery and ask any questions that I want while they’re doing the surgery,” Jackson said. “Also I’ll be meeting the guy who mailed me the letter, Mario Capecchi, who was the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2007. I’ll get to meet him plus other Nobel Peace winners.”
Jackson was thrilled when she found out that she was selected. She recalls running around with her dog and screaming with her family. Her mom was going through mail when she saw the letter. Jackson shrugged it off thinking it was another college rep when she saw a Nobel Prize sticker in the corner of the envelope.
She showed her mom and told her, “Oh, I was nominated for this award.” After reading the letter, Jackson’s mom told her that she wasn’t nominated, she was selected.
“When she showed me, I was shaking,” Jackson said. “We were jumping off the walls, and my dog got super excited with us and I ran up and down the halls with my dog.”
After she graduates from high school, Jackson wants to major in something that deals with biology, biochemistry or biological engineering. One of her dream colleges is Baylor because they have a excellent biology program. Jackson wants to do something that helps people.
“Something that involves people in the environment. Biology is a good way to go because it deals with both.”
Jackson’s parents are a big part in her life. Her dad has several health issues and it can be hard for him to get up in the morning. Jackson says if he can get up and put a smile on his face, “It encourages me to get up and do something.” Her mom also is her role model because she can always make time for Jackson and her family.
“If she can wake up and go through her day and deal with all the craziness and still have time with me and my family, it makes me want to do that,” Jackson said.
Jackson’s two biggest goals are meeting people and keeping in touch. She says if she meets someone cool like congressmen, she would love to be in contact with them because “they could help me out on college stuff.”
Dorothy Jackson, Vanessa’s mom, says that she is extremely proud of her daughter and what she has accomplished. Her mom says this just shows all of Jackson’s hard work.
“I am extremely proud and honored to have her as a daughter,” Dorothy said. “I wish that this becomes a positive building block in her life.”
Dorothy Jackson is looking forward to go to Boston and experiencing the trip with her daughter. She hopes Vanessa takes away that hard work and diligence pays off in the end.
“My overall wish is that she has a lot of fun, learns a lot, and comes back with the understanding that any goal can be accomplished in her life,” Dorothy Jackson said.
