Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a teen who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a friend, and a son or a daughter. Above all, the Teen of the Month is dedicated to making a positive mark on the planet. Rich or poor, famous or not, the Teen of the Month shines as an example of what today's teens have to offer.

December's Teen of the Month is 17-year-old Jamie Rubin, teen scientist.

Seventeen-Year-Old Scientist
Although she's possibly one of the most promising teen scientists in the country, Jamie Rubin isn't positive she wants to go into the field of science. Which is not that surprising when you consider that it was her strong interest in people that led her to develop the research tools that brought her a $50,000 scholarship from the Davidson Institute.

Rubin, 17, of Ft. Myers, Fla., was chosen as a 2003 Davidson Fellow, because of her work conducting in-depth research into treating infections caused by the Candida albicans fungus using a combination of approaches. This will cut the time needed for future research from several years to less than a week. Rubin's research could improve the quality of life for millions with compromised immune systems, including cancer, HIV and AIDS patients.

"I chose Candida for a couple of reasons that had to do with how it affects the quality of life of people who contract the infection," says Rubin. "Initially I had the idea in the back of my mind from talking to my mom, who's a nurse. She would tell me different stories about patients with the infection and how difficult it made their recovery. Then, while I was working as a volunteer at Hope Hospice, I was exposed to many people with cancer and HIV, and I noticed that this fungal infection was extremely common in these people. The doctors always seemed worried about its progression, and that's when I realized what a serious issue it was in health care."

Because she wasn't driving yet when she initially began working on this project, the big challenge for Rubin wasn't academic, it was more pragmatic: The laboratory where she needed to conduct her research was several hours away. She got her mother to drive her there and stayed with friends so she didn't have to make so many round trips. The summer after her freshman year, she even rented a converted sorority house so she could live there full time while she did her research.

Talent and Dedication
Rubin's no stranger to the type of hard work it took to become a Davidson Fellow. Her list of awards and achievements is longer than most adult's resumes. Just in 2003, in addition to the Davidson scholarship, Rubin won a $100,000 scholarship in the Intel Science Talent Search, the President's Award for Educational Excellence and was the top speaker at the annual Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. And that's just a partial list.

She also skipped her senior year of high school to enter Harvard a year early. It was something she had been planning since her freshman year in high school.

"I had visited Harvard in my freshman year and took a second look in my sophomore year," says Rubin. "I liked the atmosphere, because it meshed well with my own personality. I knew that I wanted to go to a top school and wanted to choose one that I felt comfortable at."

Her biggest challenge at Harvard? Not the classes, but for this Florida girl, the weather. "I'm so used to hot weather that one of the first days it got cold I forgot to bring a jacket and had a hard time writing in class because my fingers were so cold," she says.

Rubin has always had a high comfort level in her school. From kindergarten through graduation she attended a private school, the Canterbury School, where she was able to really stretch herself intellectually. But she didn't just confine herself to academics. While in high school, she was active in peer tutoring and teen court and worked this summer as a counselor at the Research Science Institute to mentor other young people who hope to follow in her footsteps. She also loves ballroom dancing and is on the ballroom dance team at Harvard.

Future Plans
For the future, Rubin just wants to take her time and explore her many options. While she's fascinated by science and medicine, she knows there's so much more out there and wants to just do well in school and not jump into a decision.

"I have so many different ideas, it seems like even my major in college changes every three hours or so," says Rubin. "I'm just trying to stay focused on four years at a time like my mom told me to. I do want to be involved in something that at least pertains to scientific thought and do something that has an impact, but my ability to enjoy my job is worth more than any amount of money I could earn."

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