
Norvin
West
Jr.,
a
recent
graduate
of
Charles
J.
Colgan
Sr.
High
School,
has
big
plans
for
his
future.
Those
plans
include
finding
a
cure
for
epilepsy,
founding
a
non-profit
dedicated
to
healthcare
accessibility,
spreading
awareness
about
the
lack
of
minorities
in
healthcare,
and
providing
healthcare
to
the
homeless.
Before
he
does
any
of
that,
West
will
first
attend
Yale
University
to
study
neuroscience
with
plans
to
attend
medical
school
to
become
a
neurosurgeon.
To
help
him
with
those
plans,
both
the
Navy
and
Yale
offered
West
financial
incentives.
Yale
offered
Westa
financial
aid
award
to
fully
cover
tuition,
room,
and
board.
The
Navy
offered
him
a
$180,000
Reserve
Officers'
Training
Corps
(ROTC)
scholarship
to
commend
his
outstanding
student
leadership
and
academic
achievements
as
a
student
at
Colgan
High.
West
chose
the
Yale
award
but
spoke
highly
of
his
prestigious
Navy
ROTC
scholarship
selection.
"It
was
a
blessing
and
honor
to
have
been
recognized
in
the
award
ceremony
and
by
the
Navy
itself,"
he
said,
adding,
"It
was
quite
honestly
an
experience
I'll
never
forget."
While
at
Colgan,
West
was
president
of
the
Math
Honor
Society,
treasurer
of
the
Science
National
Honor
Society
and
student
council,
and
member
of
the
National
Honor
Society,
varsity
football
team,
and
symphonic
orchestra.
"Norvin
is
an
extremely
well-rounded
student,"
said
Erin
Flaherty,
a
school
counselor
at
Colgan.
She
credits
West's
motivation
and
drive
to
help
others
as
a
major
factor
in
his
success.
"Norvin
dedicated
much
of
last
summer
to
working
alongside
a
doctor
at
George
Mason
University
researching
epilepsy,"
she
said,
adding,
"He
has
also
found
passion
in
working
with
a
microbiologist
to
research
prostate
cancer
killing
vectors
and
COVID-19
resistant
cells."
West
hopes
to
use
the
generous
financial
offer
from
Yale
to
help
make
his
goals
a
reality.
"I
believe
that
with
hard
work
and
determination
anything
can
be
accomplished,"
he
said.
"I
am
simply
a
young
man
who
has
a
deep
curiosity
and
fascination
with
the
world
around
me,
and
who
is
striving
to
make
a
positive
impact
on
the
world
of
neuroscience
and
medicine."