Destiny Van

Destiny Brianna Van, born in Miami, Florida, is a current student researcher and sophomore at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Van graduated from South Gwinnett High School in Snellville, Georgia and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Spelman.  Van has always had a fascination for math growing up, but in her sophomore year of high school she realized her passion for chemistry. Now majoring in biochemistry at Spelman, she aspires to pursue a Ph.D in order to gain a career in which she can participate in research and create/discover medicines. After discovering her father was diagnosed with type II diabetes, Van’s goal has always been to work in labs and find cures for diseases that have a major impact on African-Americans. She is currently working with Kimberly M. Jackson, Ph.D on a project that researches the effects of medicinal plants on prostate cancer.