Local student chosen for Future Cancer Scholars program

LINCOLN – Kaylyn Woods had been sitting in her Bio-Manufacturing Technology class at Davies Tech one day last month when she received an email that she says will change her life.

That’s when the Central Falls resident learned she had been selected to partake in the prestigious Rhode Island Future Generation of Cancer Scholars Program, a distinguished initiative of the Lifespan Cancer Institute, Brown Cancer Center and Papitto Opportunity Connection.

“I was so excited; I was just looking through my cellphone during a break in class and I saw an email from Annabelle Neville, the scholars program coordinator,” said Woods, a mere sophomore. “I opened it and it said I’d been accepted. I went, ‘Oh!’ out loud, and I was completely shocked. I then called my mom and she said, ‘Honey, I’m so proud of you!

“The more I thought about it, I still can’t believe it, but I can, too,” she added. “I just signed up one day and hoped for the best. I didn’t know what

my chances were because obviously there are a lot of highly-motivated students out there, but then I figured, ‘Hey, I’ve worked hard, too.’”

The RIFGCS program is a highly-competitive, mentored, six-week summer internship designed to cultivate the next generation of cancer scholars. Woods will have the opportunity to shadow leading cancer clinicians and scientists at renowned institutions such as Rhode Island, The Miriam and Hasbro Children’s hospitals.

Additionally, she will gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge laboratory research facilities at the Lifespan Cancer Institute.

Selected students, including Woods, will be employed by Lifespan and will receive an hourly wage throughout the duration. This premier opportunity was extended to only 20 students in the Providence area, making Woods’ acceptance a special – and remarkable – achievement.

“One of my goals in this program is to gain more experience,” she said. “I want to see the process of how advances are made in cancer research. I want to discover how they have optimized the process.”

Woods explained she developed an intense interest in medicine back in middle school because of her mom, who is a nurse at Brigham’s & Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“It all starts with her; whenever she came home, she would tell me about the kind of patients she had and what she did to help them, and I found that really interesting,” she said. “She definitely seemed to be a health care worker who cares, and she still is. She treats her patients like they’re really people. I like how she makes her job not one standard role of patient-doctor.

“With her, it’s more like the relationship is two people and one trying to help solve the issues of another,” she continued. “I want to be someone who can help solve someone’s problems, but still form a bond with them. I want to make sure they know they’re not alone in what they’re doing.

“I want to be not only their doctor but also nurse, friend, listener, helper; I think that’s what a good nurse does. Mom tells me about her interactions with certain patients, and that she forms really good bonds with them. She talks to them as if they were family, especially if they don’t have family of their own. She’s there for them through and through, and I really admire that.

“I’ve noticed some health professionals who keep it at one level, the bond, where you really feel uncomfortable telling a doctor things, like you’re just another patient.

It’s like they’re saying, ‘You’re just the patient. I’m the doctor.’ My mom isn’t like that, and I definitely wouldn’t be, either.”

The funny thing is, Woods isn’t majoring in Health Careers at Davies but Bio-Manufacturing Technology, so she’s on the science side of medicine right now. That doesn’t mean she’s not up for learning more about research or doctoring/nursing.

Woods’ selection into this program reflects her merit and underscores Davies’ commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in its students, Neville said. She is the third Tech student to be selected in the past two years, as Olga Payne and Seoanne Almada – also Bio-Manufacturing Technology majors – will complete their second year in the program this summer.

Woods doubled her pleasure last week, when she discovered she also had been accepted into the Brown Pre-College Program. She had applied to Summer@Brown earlier, and now has qualified to take up to two simultaneous Summer@Brown courses. They will be able to self-enroll in online courses from the time courses open for enrollment until two weeks before its start date.

Jax Adele Ventura, Marketing & Communications Specialist at Davies, said Woods is currently enrolled in an AP Psychology course on-line in addition to taking a host of pre-AP classes in school.

As for the FGCS program, the orientation was scheduled for April 18, while the official start date is set for July 8; the following day, there will be a special ceremony where Woods and other selectees will receive their white lab coat and stethoscope.

“She’s an outstanding young student, and we’re thrilled to see Kaylyn’s dedication and hard work recognized through her acceptance into the RIFGCS Program,” said Davies’ Principal Dr. Jose Libano. “This prestigious opportunity is a testament to her exceptional abilities and commitment to academic and professional excellence.”