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Jada Nguyen’s story is one of global love, fierce persistence, and the power of opportunity. As a senior at Cristo Rey Boston High School, Jada took the stage at the most recent Building Minds Scholarship Fund Gala to share how the Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) helped turn her mother’s sacrifices into a path toward Ivy League success.

Jada’s journey with CSF began in fourth grade when she transferred to Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy. The scholarship support she received there, and later at Cristo Rey Boston, made a high-quality, faith-based education affordable for her family.
For Jada, this opportunity was the fulfillment of a dream her mother—a Vietnamese immigrant and hardworking nail technician—had been forced to defer. While Jada’s mother often pleaded with her to "not be like me," Jada used her speech to honor the very work ethic and resilience she inherited from her mom.

At Cristo Rey, Jada excelled both in and out of the classroom. Beyond her roles as Student Council Vice President and school tour guide, she balanced a rigorous Corporate Work Study schedule with internships at Latham & Watkins, Veristat, and the PRISM lab at the Broad Institute. Her work at PRISM, using DNA barcoding to test cancer drug responses, solidified her ambition to unite health policy with patient care.

The highlight of the evening came when Jada shared her next chapter. This fall, she will be heading to Princeton University as a QuestBridge Scholar, where she plans to major in molecular biology and minor in global health and policy. In a touching moment, she also shouted out her twin sister, who will be attending Harvard University.

Jada closed her remarks with a heartfelt message to her mother and the CSF supporters in the room, proving that while she may be the first in her family to attend college, her success belongs to the community that believed in her.

At CSF, we are incredibly proud of Jada and the Class of 2026. We know her journey as a future doctor is only just beginning.

Jada's Full Speech:

Good evening, Archbishop Henning, Mr. Lynch, Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes, and all of you here tonight. My name is Jada Nguyen and I am a senior at Cristo Rey Boston High School. It is an honor to share my story with you tonight, because you may not know it, but you are part of my story.

In this story, love spreads globally. It reaches my teachers, friends, and peers through our shared passion for learning. When my mom was 14, she left Vietnam with her two sisters and my grandmother. Although she graduated from high school, she never had the opportunity to attend college. Growing up, my mother pleaded with me to not follow her path. She would say: “Don’t be like me.”
When I asked why, she told me that her opportunity to pursue college vanished when she was pregnant. Instead of college, my mom worked, and still works long hours as a nail technician to provide for me, sacrificing her dreams to make mine possible. To seven-year-old me, she was brilliant. She wanted the best for me, and her dedication to my schooling is why I transferred from Boston Public Schools to Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy in fourth grade. This transition was made possible with a CSF scholarship.

After SJP, I enrolled in Cristo Rey Boston High School. The cost of my education was supported by CSF, making this opportunity affordable for my family. At Cristo Rey, classes like Theology, Ethics, Biology, and Government fostered a deep passion for learning and fueled my ambitions to pursue a career that unites health policy and patient care.

I am also involved as a tour guide for the school and am Vice President of the student council. After school, I work at the Boston Area Health Education Center and alongside my sister, we look after our younger brother, Jaxon. And I act as a translator for my mother during my brother’s medical appointments.

Through the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study model, I spend one day a week at an internship. This helps cover the cost of my education while giving me the opportunity to gain real-world experience. After work-study experiences at Latham & Watkins and Veristat, I sought opportunities to explore my interest in science. This led me to the Broad Summer Scholars Program.
In the program, I interned at PRISM, a lab that uses DNA barcoding technology to test drug responses to cancer cell lines. I am thankful to Dr. Adrianna Matos-Nieves, Anthony Fazio, and the other scientists and engineers who encouraged my curiosity. PRISM agreed to extend my summer job into a Corporate Work Study placement for my senior year.

Apparently, what I also inherited from my mom, besides her work ethic, was her persistence. I am grateful to have many strong, caring, and persistent women in my family. They prioritize caring for others above themselves. Many now face health struggles, yet they keep moving forward. Their perseverance and strength inspire me to be courageous.

PRISM’s technology showed me how research directly impacts patient care. This inspires me to pursue a career that targets disease prevention and treatment so I can give back to my mom and community. This fall, I had hoped to be the first person in my family to attend college, but that is not possible—thanks to my twin sister, who is one minute older than I am and will be attending Harvard next year.
I have decided that another four years on the Red Line isn’t for me and will be attending Princeton University as a QuestBridge Scholar. I plan to major in molecular biology and minor in global & health policy. I hope to become a doctor, caring for my patients with the same passion and guidance my mother had when she took care of me.

Unfortunately, my mother couldn’t be here today because of a family emergency in Vietnam. If she were here, here’s what I would tell her: Mẹ (mom), because of your sacrifice and love, I won’t have to give up my education. But I do want to be exactly like you—a person whose unconditional love empowers her to work hard and provide a future for others. Your commitment to me overcomes any challenge I face. Thank you, mẹ. I love you.

To all of you—thank you. Thank you for funding the scholarship that has brought me to Saint John Paul II and Cristo Rey Boston. Thank you for believing in over 4,000 students, no matter where they come from. My story is one of many thousands. Because of you, this is just my beginning. Thank you.

Beyond the Podium: A Closer Look at Jada Our Student Speaker

In our January interview, Jada opened up about the deeply personal motivation driving her Ivy League dreams. While her speech moved the room to tears, her daily life is where the real work happens.

Read Jada's January interview

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