As a Stanford University graduate of 2005, and a current medical student at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Maris Jones embraces learning with a fervor exceeded only by her passion for living life to its fullest.
For as long as she can remember, Maris has seized every new opportunity, looking for answers and insight. Maris took the most rigorous courses offered at her high school. During her last year she enrolled in classes at the University of California at Berkeley through the University’s High School Honors Program. She is the recipient of a Brown University Book Award and a National Achievement Scholarship.
At Stanford University, Maris continued to satiate her love of learning by initiating, along with fellow classmates, a current events discussion group entitled “Bursting the Bubble.” The purpose of Bursting the Bubble was to break through Stanford’s comfortable environment and bring news and social issues to students through panel discussions and Q&A sessions led by renowned speakers brought to campus. Additionally, Maris became involved with data collection for the Council on African American Affairs’ first research initiative, concentrating on child healthcare in Oakland, California. Towards the end of her undergraduate years, and as her interest in medicine deepened, Maris worked as a research aide on a longitudinal study of bipolar disorder patients at the Stanford Psychiatry Clinic.
In addition to her intellectual curiosity, Maris has always exhibited genuine concern for others. Having attended both public and private schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is sensitive to the needs of all kinds of students, especially those who are usually left to fend for themselves. This awareness led her to become active in helping underprivileged students achieve in a world that may not give them the benefit of the doubt.
While in high school, Maris tutored middle school students and created a website that offered free homework assistance and SAT preparation. In college, Maris still took time to tutor local students and helped out with other worthy community service activities on campus.
Maris is currently a Surgical Resident at the University of Nevada in Reno.
