Despite facing personal challenges, 18-year-old Chelsea Pingue is determined to make the most of every opportunity. The DeCarteret College graduate and recipient of the JPS Foundation’s PowerUP STEM Tertiary Scholarship is set to pursue a degree in medical physics at The University of the West Indies (The UWI). Her passion for the field was sparked after attending a JPS-UWI CAPE workshop, where a lecturer demonstrated how physics is applied in real-world scenarios, particularly in medicine. This experience opened her eyes to the possibilities within medical physics, especially in improving and making cancer treatments more affordable. Originally from Manchester, Pingue has always been drawn to STEM subjects, particularly physics and math. Living with a chronic illness, she found comfort and purpose in academics, which became a source of strength. Her mother, Dorothy Maylar, expressed immense pride in her daughter’s resilience and dedication. Grateful for the scholarship, Pingue encourages other young people facing difficulties to use their struggles as motivation rather than a limitation.

Photo caption: Chelsea Pingue