Biology Major Receives International
Fellowship to Study in Germany
Building upon a record of undergraduate success, Janine Flores ’12C
has been awarded a competitive international fellowship to
participate in the 2012-2013 Congress-Bundestag
Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, a year-long,
federally-funded program for study and work in Germany.
“I’m so excited to receive this fellowship — it’s a great way to
finish my undergraduate studies,” said Janine, a biology major and
first-generation college student from Jamaica, Queens.
“International study is very important at St. John’s. Germany is a
hub of science and technology, so this is a chance for a broader
perspective on my studies.”
Out of more than 500 applicants, only 75 candidates received the
fellowships. The award was conceived by members of the United
States Congress and the German Parliament (Bundestag). Financial
support for the program is authorized under the
Fulbright-Hays Act through the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, a division of the
U.S. Department of State.
Receiving the fellowship is Janine’s latest achievement. This year,
she won a contest to serve as “the face of St. John’s” in a feature
in the June/July metropolitan issue of Seventeen magazine. She was
chosen from more than 180 students who participated. In 2010, she
was among the first students named Obama Scholars. Funded by a
portion of President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, the awards are
given to outstanding Latino students nationwide.
As a member of St. John’s McNair Scholars Program,
which prepares underrepresented students for graduate study, Janine
has combined her interests in medical research and service through
volunteer work locally and internationally. She has participated in
the University’s Guatemala and Panama Service Plunges and
assisted at a rural hospital in Ecuador. Closer to home, Janine has
tutored underprivileged students at a local Bronx high
school.
Her research interests and strong record of academic achievement
have enabled Janine to secure an internship at Columbia University,
where she studies the effects of parental nurturing on premature
babies. Based on her work there, she has been asked to present a
research paper on Columbia’s
Family Nurture Intervention Program at the national conference
of McNair Scholars to be held this summer at the University of
Puerto Rico.
Janine appreciates the way St. John’s faculty have mentored her.
“I’m very grateful that my professors took such interest in me,”
she said. “They’ve been incredibly supportive in helping me to
shape my professional goals and reinforce my interest in serving
those in need.”
St. John’s helps students who are interested in international
scholarship programs through the University’s Graduate Admissions
Assistance Program (GAAP)