BGCC Member Discovers Cancer-Fighting Potential Through Science Program, Featured in Medical Journal

At the James R. Jordan Boys & Girls Club, eighth-grader Camarria’s curiosity during a STEM program led to a groundbreaking discovery. The program, which partnered with the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC), encouraged hands-on science exploration, and Camarria’s findings could potentially aid in the fight against cancer.

“Is it really true what they’re saying – that what I discovered could help cure cancer,” she asked, still in disbelief.

The answer is yes.

While collecting samples in Garfield Park to test at UIC’s labs, Camarria chose goose droppings, suspecting they would contain high levels of bacteria. What she uncovered was unexpected: a compound with activity against cancer.

Camarria’s work has since been published in a biomedical research journal.

“My mom, auntie, and grandma have all had cancer, so it makes me happy that something I found could help,” Camarria said. “It makes me want to discover more things out there. I don’t want to just sit down; I want to be out there doing things.”

UIC medicinal chemist Brian Murphy led the program to engage 22 middle school students over 13 weeks. Participants explored environmental science, biology, and robotics, with lab visits that gave them hands-on experience.

Camarria, who aspires to be both a pediatrician and a scientist, reflected on her favorite part: “I like going out and exploring more than just sitting in a classroom,” Camarria said. “I’m always trying to find new things when I go outside or at the park.”

This Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant-funded program shows the transformative power of experiential education and the boundless potential of young minds like Camarria’s.

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