He picks up a small, grey mouse in the red lit room. He can feel it squirming in his hands through his thin nitrile gloves. He places the mouse on the track. His job is simple enough: train the mouse to run the correct route. If the mouse runs correctly, she gets water. If the mouse fails she gets nothing and must attempt the run again.
Naman Jain is a senior at the University of Oregon studying human physiology. Through his research in the Neill Lab of the Institute of Neuroscience, Jain learns how the ventral and dorsal streams of the brain work in mice. Jain’s experience at UO is one step in achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a neurologist.
Jain always knew that he wanted to be a doctor. By his senior year, however, Jain and his parents were struggling to figure out how to pay for his college education. They could not afford to put Jain through school. It was looking as though Jain had only two options: go to community college or be in a lot of debt.
Jain chose a third option though. He became determined to fund his higher education through scholarships. As he puts it, “I made it a statement to myself that I wouldn’t let finances stop me even though they were a major factor.” Jain applied to as many scholarships as possible; it became like a part-time job.
Fortunately Jain’s hard work paid off. He received the Ford Family Foundation scholarship which has paid for 90% of Jain’s unmet needs for all four years. He’s able to focus on his academics without having to worry about being a financial burden to his family. After he graduates in the spring, Jain’s dream is to achieve his Doctor of Medicine from the Oregon Health and Science University.
There are many students – like Jain – whose families simply can’t afford to send their children to college, but with a lot of hard work and the help of foundations such as the Ford, high achieving students can and will achieve a college degree.