Arykah's journey to discovering her interest in neuroscience
A career test in the Success One91 course at Burnsville High School ignited Arykah Jones’ interest in the human brain and neuroscience.
Every 9th grader at Burnsville High School (BHS) participates in Success One91 during first semester, a class focused on helping 9th graders identify and develop skills that will help them be successful throughout their time at BHS. Through interest and personality tests in this class, Arykah identified that she was interested in becoming a neuroscientist because she enjoyed research and wanted to learn more about human behavior.
Taking the test led me in the right direction of finding something I would be good at and passionate about instead of wandering aimlessly.
-Arykah Jones
The Health Care pathway at Burnsville opened Arykah up to opportunities that she did not know that existed. Arykah took psychology and other related health care courses during her time at BHS and served as the president of the school’s Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) club before graduating in 2022.
“As the president, I helped plan more fun events where students could learn about the options healthcare offers,” Arykah noted. “I wanted to broaden people’s minds on what they can do besides becoming a doctor or nurse when they think of healthcare.”
9th Grade
Arykah completes the career test in Success One 191 course, which starts her interest in neuroscience and other healthcare careers.
10th grade
Arykah attends “Camp Neuro,” a neuroscience camp where she learns basic biology along with the anatomy of the brain and diseases that affect the brain.
11th Grade
Along with her courses, Arykah served as the president of Burnsville’s Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) club.
12th Grade
Arykah enrolled in a psychology course along with other healthcare courses to prepare her for college.
2022 and Beyond
Arykah is planning to attend the University of Minnesota to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then a Master’s degree in neuroscience.