Tyjahnae Morton is an eighth-grade scholar and honor-roll student who attends Green Street Academy.

What is your favorite thing about being a CURE Scholar?

My favorite thing about CURE so far has been the fun experiments and field trips. When I was in the anatomy curriculum track, we dissected pigs. That was really fun, and I learned a lot, too. This year, CURE was invited to speak at the Maryland General Assembly, and I loved that field trip. We got to go to Annapolis and present our research posters that we worked on all year, and it felt good to tell people about my research.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a pediatrician because I like helping people and I love being around children. I have younger siblings, so I’m used to helping take care of them.

What curriculum track did you choose and why?

I’m in the chemistry curriculum track. I chose chemistry because I didn’t know much about it, but I wanted to learn more. I also know that you need to know about chemistry in order to become a pediatrician.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far in the CURE Scholars Program?

CURE has taught me a lot. When I first started at CURE, I was very shy and didn’t talk to a lot of different types of people. I am more outgoing and vocal now because CURE puts you in situations to share what you learn. Like on the Annapolis trip, I got to talk to people I wouldn’t have talked to before.

Tyjahnae also placed in the top three at CURE’s second annual STEM Expo, a poster showcase that challenges scholars to impress judges with their knowledge of their scientific research topics. Tyjahnae’s research poster, “New Treatments in Small Cell Lung Cancer,” focused on innovative health care techniques created in an effort to reduce the prevalence of small-cell lung cancer.