I call Jordan the turn around kid. His early years at Commack High School were a struggle for him. But he worked hard to overcome challenges and reached lofty academic heights before graduating in 2017. He went to the University of Chicago with specific academic intentions. He turned those intentions around graduating in a field that he did not intend to pursue. I interviewed him as he sat in his home in the high mountains of Bolivia where he is working with and studying the Aymara people through a Fullbright Scholarship.
Ana, first in her family to attend university, is a prime example of how a motivated person who works hard towards concrete goals can achieve her dreams. Ana graduated from Manhattan Hunter Science High School in 2021. Her academic focus, and desire to take advantage of all the opportunities available to her has set her on a course of to be a medical researcher in the future.