Jayleen

Jayleen is dedicated to making her school “the best for all involved,” one of her teachers wrote. 

Among her efforts, she was instrumental in starting a club supporting a gender and sexuality alliance. She also worked with other students to organize the school’s first ever Pride Month event. On top of that, she worked hard to create an interactive game that allowed students and staff “opportunities to learn more about identity flags and terminology in ways that made the school a better place.”

Her school counselor described her as “very determined to complete tasks assigned to her or activities she participates in.” One example was her completion of a 3.1-mile race, which demonstrated “what she could do if she remained focused and determined,” even though she had little experience in track and field. Jayleen’s determination showed up again when her mother, whom she calls her “biggest role model”, was diagnosed with a serious illness. She continued to “keep up her grades, show up for her work hours and commit to her friendships.”  

Jayleen is looking forward to applying her hard work to the field of forensic psychology.

“I love watching true-crime videos, movies, shows and even listening to podcasts,” she wrote in her essay. Hearing these stories, she feels moved to “have a thorough talk with the criminals and truly understand what possesses them to do such terrible acts,” and just as moved to “spread awareness about these cases because the victims need and deserve justice.” 

The teacher that has made the greatest difference in my life is Ms. Jones, my science teacher. She is special to me because she has been the teacher who has been the most genuine and helpful throughout all my years of High School. She’s like my other family, I really appreciate the efforts she’s made for me and the relationship we’ve built with each other.