University of Detroit Mercy graduate Christina Jones tells anyone who will listen about the school’s ReBUILDetroit program and with good reason. Jones credits ReBUILDetroit with putting her on a path to success and opening up opportunities she never thought possible.
“I always say BUILD has done everything for me,” Jones said. “This wasn’t at all what I had planned for my life. I really love the BUILD program, it’s changed my life. I wouldn’t be here without it.”
Jones has had an eventful year. She graduated in May from Detroit Mercy with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She’s currently in Maryland doing a summer internship for the National Cancer Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). And she will be attending the Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry in the fall.
Not bad for someone who just a few years ago thought she wouldn’t have the resources to attend a four-year university.
“I’m so grateful for BUILD and the NIH,” Jones said. “I feel so privileged to be at the NIH this summer. I feel like the best way to pay them back is to continue to work for them.”
ReBUILDetroit — a program funded through NIH grants–is dedicated to fueling the academic renaissance of Detroit by establishing the city as the center for biomedical research training for underrepresented undergraduate students.
The ReBUILDetroit program began in 2015 and recently had its first graduating class, of which Jones was a part.
ReBUILDetroit and Detroit Mercy provided Jones with a scholarship to attend school and paid her a monthly stipend for conducting research, which allowed her to live independently and not have to work full time.
Jones didn’t take a typical path to a degree, but she credits ReBUILDetroit with giving her the resources to take chances and succeed.
This is only part of Jones’ story. Click here to read the entire piece.
