Seraya Jones has made herself, family and friends and country proud. Jones who is from the community of Fond Cole was raised by her mother, Nita Lee, who is a single parent. Her educational journey began at the Goodwill Primary school and continued at the Wesley High School, where she graduated as valedictorian. She then pursued a major in Biology at the Dominica State College. With the assistance of the Government of Dominica, she went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Grambling State University.
She says, “Upon graduation, I knew that I wanted to achieve more and that I was very capable, therefore, I took a gap year to focus on research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a top ranked research institute in the United States”.
Jones will be pursuing a PhD in Molecular Biology in the Fall with a focus on Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology at Princeton University, after having been accepted at four top schools. When asked what factors contributed to her choosing Princeton, she said, “I’m not sure if I chose Princeton or it chose me. This graduate application cycle was an extremely challenging one, given the current pandemic. Like everything else, I did not let that deter me and presented my best self during the application process. Ultimately, I was able to reap some exceptional results and was admitted into 4 PhD programs all at top institutions, which includes Cornell University, Dartmouth College, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry and Princeton University”.
She added, “When people hear about Princeton, automatically they think of the prestige and somehow think that it may be out of their reach. My first interaction with Princeton University was last Fall when I was chosen as a 2020 P3/MolBio Scholar. This is a program where prospective students get the opportunity to interact with faculty and graduate students. It is where my previous perception of Princeton changed. Now, when I think of Princeton some of the words that come to mind are; community, support and collaboration. It is the collaborative environment and student support -and of course the exceptional research done there is what made Princeton stand out”.
Jones is quite modest about her accomplishments so far. She says, “The word success to me is relative, although I have been able to achieve so much, I still feel that there is so much more that I can do to be my greatest self. I believe that my passion for discovery and love for science coupled with my tenacity allows me to strive even higher”.
She credits close familial connections; an extremely supportive mother, partner and close friends as contributors to her accomplishments so far.”They are my biggest advocates and I am ever so thankful”, she says.
Jones says that young persons need the support of those around them.
“My close family bond, especially with my mother has set a firm foundation for me. My mother has always instilled in me the importance of education and self-reliance. She has been a core support for me my entire life and still continues to give me encouragement. To this day, I still call my mother for her wisdom and I am still surprised at some of her responses. My mother is inspirational! My siblings have also been extremely supportive and a source of comfort for me – especially when I am homesick. I would say that support from family and friends is paramount.”
Jones encourages young persons with these words.
She says, “I know that it is somewhat of a cliché’ but hard work, determination and goal setting is important. The vision may change along the way and that is completely fine. You may lose sight and may hit many road blocks but I urge you to never give up. Seek opportunities and do not ever be afraid to reach out to ask for help and just inquire about something that you are interested in. Networking also definitely goes a long way; never be afraid of putting yourself out there”.
“My hope is that some young persons in Dominica and the Caribbean by extension, finds some inspiration from my story and is encouraged to pursue their dreams and focus on their passions and interests”, she adds.
Jones plans to go into a career in academia or industry. “I do know for sure that I definitely want to be in a position where I can provide some form of mentorship to other women of color pursuing careers in STEM. Also, I want to help establish a research environment in Dominica.”
Emonews Congratulates Seraya Jones on her entry into such a prestigious institution.
