Seven Local High School Students Named Passport Scholars

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Seven local 10th grade girls were named Passport Scholars through the Public Education Foundation. As part of PEF’s college access initiative, Passport Scholars provides scholarships for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend programs like the Summer Science and Engineering Program at Smith College or the Teton Science School at Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

“The Passport program opens the door to new worlds for these girls,” said PEF Director of Secondary School Initiatives Bill Kennedy. “It involves study, travel and adventure, and many of the summer programs are held on college campuses. The founders of Passport Scholars believed that this would lead these girls to a brighter future – they will know more about what’s ‘out there’ in the world, and set their sights higher than they might have otherwise.”

JaKeena Dillard of East Ridge High and Alexandria Hughes of Ooltewah High will attend the Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program. This is a four-week residential program for exceptional young women with strong interests in science, engineering and medicine. Students will do hands-on research with Smith faculty in the life and physical sciences and in engineering. “It is my ambition to be a pharmacist when I grow up,” said Ms. Hughes. “I am very interested in Smith’s “Biomedical Engineering: How Your Body Works” course. Building biomedical equipment or even the idea of working with it excites me. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to attend this program. The curriculum not only looks informational, but fun too.”

Jami Vaughn of Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, Kristi Jones of Hixson High and Keylee Jones of Center for Creative Arts will attend the Teton Science School Field Natural History program. They will hike, canoe, write and conduct discovery-based scientific research while viewing the magnificent wildlife and diverse landscapes of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Chelsey Smith of Sale Creek High School will attend the French Village at Concordia Language Villages, a language and cultural immersion program, and Center for Creative Arts student Madison Haines will enroll in Exploration! (otherwise known as Explo) at Yale University. Explo allows students to investigate subjects they are not likely to encounter during the school year.

In addition to funding the summer programs, Passport Scholars helps the girls set and achieve long-term goals and offers one-on-one mentoring and college counseling.