A former CedarBridge Academy valedictorian and recent graduate from the Bermuda College has just been accepted into Johns Hopkins University where she will pursue her dream of becoming a neonatologist.

Janaya Raynor, 19, recently graduated from the Bermuda College with an Associate Degree in Science with a 3.28 GPA.

At school, Janaya was nicknamed Dr. Raynor by her friends, when during her S1 year at CedarBridge Academy she shared her dream of becoming a doctor with classmates during a ?what do you want to be when you grow up? session.

Janaya?s mother, Lynnette, is a nurse and clinical coordinator of emergency at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and it was the logical step for Janaya to volunteer as a Candy Striper while in High School.

When asked what made her decide to study neonatology, which is working with premature babies and/or babies with birth defects, Janaya said when she decided to be a doctor she researched all the various fields.

?I found neonatology and decided that was it,? she said.

She leaves for Baltimore, Maryland in the US in the Autumn and said she was both excited and a little nervous at going so far from home to study.

?This is the longest I?ve ever been away from home and I guess it?s normal to be a little nervous and have some jitters, but I?m feeling very confident,? she said.

Janaya will spend the first two years getting her Bachelors in Arts and Sciences before entering medical school for four years.

?I?ve applied for various local scholarships and am just waiting to hear if I?ve qualified for any of them,? she said.

While many of Janaya?s teachers and fellow students consider he a bit of a role model for other young girls in Bermuda, Janaya remains humble, saying that you could do anything if you set your mind to it.

?I?m the example of how the public school system can work,? she said. She graduated valedictorian in 2003 from CedarBridge Academy.