This article is the result of a story submitted by Assistant Professor of Biology Roslyn Crowder, Ph.D., about one of the students she has mentored over the past few years. It was written by Michael Candelaria, editor, Stetson Magazine.

Jordan Alexandria Cockfield didn’t take long to make her presence felt at Stetson University. Within weeks of arriving as a first-year sophomore from Lake Worth, Fla., she became a hall senator for the Student Government Association.

Cockfield eventually became the SGA director of Green Bikes and the committee chair of campus life. As a junior, her work ethic and intent to broaden horizons outside of academics led her to active membership in the professional business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, where she again assumed a leadership role, serving as president of her associate class and chair of risk management, judicial affairs and fraternity rituals.

The classroom, however, is where Cockfield made her greatest impact, one that promises to continue even as she graduates from Stetson on Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in Spanish.

Since her first semester, Cockfield has investigated the anti-cancer effects that flaxseed have on lung cancer cells with her mentor, Roslyn Crowder, Ph.D. In characteristic style, Cockfield approached Crowder soon after the assistant professor of biology stepped on campus during the 2013-2014 academic year, expressing an interest in performing experiments in cancer biology. She began shadowing Crowder in the lab and started her own research project.

With her subsequent findings, Cockfield presented at local and state conferences, participated in a summer research program, and won an award at a national conference. She also shared her work during the 2015 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference and the 2015 and 2016 Stetson Showcase events. This April, at the 2016 Showcase, she won the Maris Award for outstanding poster presentation, which highlighted her senior research.

Last summer, a new geographic direction was set for her research, although she likely didn’t realize it at the time. Cockfield attended a 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Notre Dame, where she excelled (of course) and won a travel award to present at the 2015 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Approximately 1,900 student abstracts were accepted for the conference. Cockfield’s was among the scant 8.6 percent of accepted abstracts focused on cancer biology. From those abstracts, 10 earned awards. Cockfield was among them.

The University of Notre Dame, it turns out, is the big winner. Following acceptance to Cornell University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University and Notre Dame, Cockfield chose the latter to pursue her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology with “hopes of making a positive impact in the cancer field.”

By virtue of Cockfield’s numerous achievements, with microscope in hand as well as her welcoming smile, Cockfield was selected to speak at Stetson’s 2016 Commencement on Saturday.

Chances are good reminiscence will fill the air as she recounts her days at Stetson’s own laboratory of life and learning. Yet, on a day when light shines on the futures of a record number of new Stetson graduates, Cockfield’s will stand as among the brightest.