Hi! My name is Jaden Sacks and I am humbled to be a Baldwin Scholar in the class of 2026. I was born and raised in New York City and recently moved to Connecticut. I am sandwiched between two brothers, Isaac and Sawyer. I am focused on improving the quality of patient care by integrating my personal experiences with my passion for medicine.
When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with a mild form of a rare genetic condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). Throughout my life, I have fractured over 25 bones and had numerous surgeries. I’ve spent half my life ‘disabled’, relying on medical devices to move, and the other half playing competitive lacrosse, skiing, and swimming without living in bubble-wrap. Living life as both a member of the able-bodied and disabled communities has given me a unique perspective, enabling me to build an equalizing bridge between these communities that encourages inclusivity and eliminates unintentional discrimination. While I could look at my OI and ask “why me?” I’ve learned to creatively transform my adversity into a gift I can offer others.
In high school, passionate about STEM and community service, I started the Community Service Team to form a cohort of committed students to perform weekly volunteer work to foster more meaningful relationships with our community members. I also founded the Women in Medicine club to expose passionate students to the unique paths and stories of women in medicine. I swam competitively and played lacrosse and field hockey. Although I often got injured, I would always remain a part of the team by helping as team manager or personal cheerleader! In my free time, I love to play lacrosse with my brothers, watch movies with my family, cook, be outside, and go on drives. There is something about driving with the windows down and blasting country music that just makes me smile!
At Duke, I have begun my journey on the pre-health track. A spark of passion and curiosity lights up within me with every fracture as I am infatuated by my x-rays, stitches, casts, and interactions at every doctor's visit. Due to my unique personal experiences, I hope to connect with my patients in a unique and empathetic manner to facilitate their understanding and healing. I am fascinated by the power of physician-patient relationships, patient mindsets, and religion on the quality of patient care. I hope to study this through a potential Psychology major and Religion minor, however I am excited to see where my interests take me at Duke! I feel very fortunate to have access to so many incredible resources, professors, and mentors at Duke. I am so excited to explore my passion as a member of the supportive and inspiring community of Baldwin Scholars. At my all girls high school, I experienced the supportive and genuinely caring environment of an all female community that provided a catalyst for success and self-motivation. I am very fortunate to continue to be a member of such a supportive community to learn about others, share stories, and encourage and inspire one another to make the world a better place each and every day.