SPRINGVILLE – A Springville native has been named as the recipient of a Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
Jaden Adams, a graduate of Springville High School, studies biology at Jefferson State with plans to transfer to UAB to study biomedical sciences. He said he wants to pursue a career in physical therapy research.
“I want to advance the techniques that physical therapists have,” Adams said. “Playing sports in high school was what introduced me to PT. I got hurt a couple of times, and I thought it was cool how they know the functions of the human body — how it works, how it tries to repair itself.”
1,267 natural science, engineering and mathematics students were nominated by 427 academic institution from an estimated pool of more than 5,000 college sophomores and juniors to compete for 2023 Goldwater Scholarships.
Adams was introduced to the Goldwater Scholarship Program by Dr. Nicholas Kin and Jefferson State’s Bridges to Baccalaureate program. A requirement for applying for a Goldwater Scholarship is lab experience, which Adams satisfied with an internship at UAB that included research with well-known scientist and the presentation of their findings to the local scientific community.
Adams said he remembers the excitement of opening the email that informed him of his selection as a scholarship recipient.
“I was so happy,” he said. “I told my parents, and they were like, ‘’his is just the beginning.’ It was a great day.”
Adams, along with fellow Jefferson State students Melody Dailey and Chandlor Dobbs, were among 413 recipients nationwide, and among 10 from institutions in Alabama.
Campus Representative Jamie Holley said it was remarkable for JSCC as a community college to meet or exceed the number of recipients from other institutions in the state.
“This award is life-changing for these students,” said Holley, division chair for math, engineering, and physical sciences. “This is the most prestigious and sought-after scholarship awarded to students pursuing research careers in engineering, natural science, or engineering and is usually reserved for students attending a university, working in a research lab, and seeking a PhD. This scholarship is only awarded to the top research students in these fields, and these students are usually enrolled at a university, not a community college. To my knowledge, JSCC was the only community college represented out of the entire country.”
For more information about the Bridges to Baccalaureate program, click the link here.