This year's recipient of the Larry Wayne Freeland Scholarship is Jynesis Lee. Jynesis is a native of Summerville, South Carolina, and a senior Biology major with a minor in Chemistry at Claflin University. She chose to attend Claflin because it is the oldest HBCU in South Carolina, making it rich in history, and she wanted to be around like-minded individuals who resembled her.
Jynesis is active on campus; she withholds positions as a student activist for the Emergency Contraception for Every Campus (EC4EC) advisory committee, an Engagement Intern for the Carolina Abortion Fund, and a three-time fellow for the Advocates for Youth: Condom Collective. She is also a member of the NAACP Chapter of Claflin University, the Public Health Alliance Chapter of Claflin University, and is a Senator within the Student Government Association.
Jynesis is the Founder of The Protection Project SC, a peer-to-peer distribution hotline for emergency contraception and sexual health resources. She partners with organizations on her campus to host public health forums where students can have an open/safe dialogue about sexual health. Jynesis understands that most students aren't comfortable discussing sexual topics in group settings, and she wants them to view her events as a safe space. Therefore, she keeps an anonymous Q&A box, which allows students to discreetly submit questions on "taboo" subjects at her events.
After graduation, Jynesis aspires to be a NICU Registered Nurse with plans to continue educating the youth through her organization. She prides herself on trusting her journey and process as a black woman in STEM thus far and knows that with growth comes transformation. Jynesis is ready to be the revolutionary resource needed in sexual health awareness, and GROWTH NC is delighted to select her as the first Larry Wayne Freeland Scholarship recipient.
Check out The Protection Project SC on Instagram today @protectionprojectsc.
