Jade Ocampo

Growing up in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood, Jade Ocampo never imagined that her post-high school journey would take her into the world of quantum research, professional engineering societies, and national internships.

“I wasn’t motivated in high school,” she admitted. “I didn’t work very hard because I didn’t know what would happen after high school. I had so many questions. Could I afford college? What career do I want? It was overwhelming just to think about it.”

Jade graduated from William Howard Taft High School in the spring of 2023 as a Star Scholar. The Star Scholarship program covers college tuition for students attending City Colleges of Chicago.

For Jade, the scholarship and attending Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges School of Engineering sites, would change everything. She enrolled in the Fall 2023, drawn by its Engineering program. After testing, Jade realized she wasn’t calculus-ready, so she took pre-calculus and humanities courses at Wright. Then in the fall of 2024, she began her technical coursework, including calculus. That’s when everything clicked.

“When I started taking my technical coursework, I realized that I loved it,” she said. “Being surrounded by motivated people and having access to all the resources here, it cemented that I want to be an engineer.”

Much of Jade’s direction came from a key mentor: Dr. Doris Espiritu—known to students as Dr. E—who introduced her to more opportunities, including a research internship.

“If I hadn’t talked to Dr. E as much as I did, I don’t think I’d be doing as well or connected to such great people and internships,” said Jade.

Through City Colleges, Jade landed internships with the National Science Foundation’s START program and the Open Quantum Initiative (OQI). The latter she discovered through fellow students, reinforcing her belief in the power of networking—a lesson she also learned at City Colleges of Chicago.

“I went to Wright for a lot of reasons but especially for engineering. The program made me a stronger student. It opened doors to places and things I didn’t even know existed. It’s the place where I learned how to network—which is so important,” she said.

During her summer internship with OQI, Jade lived in a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign dorm and worked full-time in a research lab on crystal synthesis.

“I grew crystals,” she explained. “My project focused on growing and characterizing sodium chlorate, which is a chiral crystal. Chirality means the crystal lacks mirror symmetry, making it non-centrosymmetric, a structural requirement for certain properties like second harmonic generation, natural circular dichroism, and piezoelectricity,” said Jade with precision.

“NaClO₃ is an ideal model system for studying these symmetry related effects. NaClO₃ itself isn’t a quantum material, but it’s an ideal model for understanding how chirality emerges,” said Jade.

Chirality is becoming increasingly important in quantum research.

Although still early in her academic career, Jade is already thinking far ahead. She plans to graduate from Wright College in May 2026, seamlessly transfer to University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering through City Colleges’ guaranteed admissions program, and eventually attend graduate school to earn her master’s degree in engineering.

“I didn’t expect much from life after high school, but the community within Wright College made me want more. It showed me that I’m more than capable of doing the work engineering demands,” said Jade.

Outside of the classroom, Jade has immersed herself in student leadership and professional organizations. She currently serves as Vice President of the Student Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers (SHPE), Wright College chapter, and is an active member of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. She also mentors pre-engineering students at Wright.

“For me, joining clubs and organizations helped me become more outgoing,” she said. “My friends and peers also keep me focused and motivated.”

Today, Jade sees herself not only as a student but as a role model—especially for other young women entering STEM fields.

“I love to see my peers reach their goals,” she said. “Their success also motivates me. It reminds me of what I want, too.”

Now, with her eyes set on an industry-focused internship, Jade continues to explore new paths in engineering, research, and innovation. Wherever she goes next, one thing is clear: she’s building a future that once seemed out of reach.