Engineered for Success:At RHS, Noel Set the Path to Her Career in the Sciences

Jacqueline Noel has always enjoyed the sciences. She was a participant in several Revere school science fairs and took a number of Advanced Placement classes at Revere High School.

“I always took as many science classes as I could in high school,” recalled Jacqueline. “All my electives at Revere High were geared toward science. I had some really great teachers like Erin Parker, who was my sophomore-year chemistry teacher and that’s when I think I fell in love with chemistry.”

Mathematics was also a personal favorite for Jacqueline. “Ms. [Cheryl] Szymanski was my AP (Advanced Placement) calculus teacher and she made me appreciate calculus, the way she taught it, the care she showed for her students, and always being available to help everyone.”

Jacqueline’s affinity to science and math – inspired by her parents, Steve, who has worked at General Electric Aviation since he was 19, and Kathy, a nurse – has continued to flourish in her years at UMass/Lowell and in her career path. Today Noel works in the field of medical imaging at Mass General, one of the leading hospitals in the world.

 

Inspired by her family

Jacqueline credits her parents for instilling in her the importance of education and the joy of learning about things from a scientific perspective.

“My parents were very encouraging to me, but they were encouraging in the sense of doing what you felt was the best for yourself,” said Jacqueline.

Her three brothers, Eric, Anthony, and Steve, all RHS graduates, are succeeding in the sciences as well. “When I was deciding what I wanted to be and what I wanted to study, I was inspired by my oldest brother, Eric (a Wentworth graduate who works as a mechanical engineer), because I learned what an engineer actually does,” said Jacqueline. “And it was nice to talk to my brother, Anthony, (a Clark University graduate with a degree in chemistry and molecular biology) when I was taking AP chemistry [at Revere High]. He helped me a lot. I knew then I wanted to do more than just chemistry. I wanted to really apply it and be innovative and use technology with chemistry, so I felt the perfect fit would be chemical engineering.”

Her younger, brother, Steven, is studying mechanical engineering at UMass/Lowell.

 

Success at UMass/Lowell

Jacqueline received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering (with a concentration in nuclear engineering) from UMass/Lowell in 2017. She studied abroad at the Esigelee Graduate School of Engineering and graduated with honors. She will be completing her master’s degree in nuclear engineering at UMass/Lowell this year.

During her college career, she was selected to the Chemical Engineers Honors Society and served as vice president of the university’s Society for Women Engineers (SWE).

“I was really passionate about the group (SWE) ,” said Jacqueline. “I didn’t see it as a challenge, but being in a male-dominated field, it was good to have your own group that could assist you and that you could interact with. My best friend was the president of the group, and it was really nice to collaborate with her. The organization did a lot of professional development and career-oriented programs and I met a ton of people that I’m still friends with.”

Jacqueline spent one summer (2016) in a prestigious, 10-week medical sciences program at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island (N.Y).

“I met engineering students from all over the United States and I was selected by the chemistry department to present my work at the end of the summer,” said Jacqueline. “It was a great internship experience.”

 

Working at Mass. General

She began in her position at Mass General Hospital in 2017. She works at the PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Center for Medical Imaging in the Department of Radiology.

“I’m working in nuclear medicine, which can be used for imaging and diagnostic purposes, so it’s related to patient care and medical research,” said Jacqueline. “I work alongside a lot of chemists and pharmacists. I really enjoy my job. It’s a great place to work. It’s a vibrant environment where you are always learning and growing.”

 

Remembering her career as a scholar-athlete at RHS

The sciences and academic achievements were one part of Jacqueline’s life as a student at Revere High School. She was also one of the high school’s best all-around athletes, becoming a key contributor to a high-achieving nucleus that won big in Diane DeCristoforo’s girls basketball program and Joe Cicarello’s softball program.

Once again she had been influenced in a positive way by her older brothers, who started playing sports at a young age and went on to play hockey at Revere High. Her younger brother also became a talented, multi-sport athlete at RHS.

Jacqueline began playing youth sports in the T-Ball Division at St. Mary’s Field. She was a U-10 and U-12 All-star in softball and continued in the Babe Ruth Softball program at Hill Park.

She started in soccer at the age of 12 in the Revere Youth Soccer program and also competed for the Revere Bombers travel basketball team.

She excelled in three sports (soccer, basketball, and softball) at Revere High School. A speedy leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the softball team, Noel earned Northeastern Conference All-Star honors. The girls basketball team won the NEC title in her senior year. An excellent leader who earned the respect of her teammates through her dedication and team spirit, She became a captain of the soccer and softball teams.

And Jacqueline Noel was a scholar-athlete in every sense. She took honors and Advanced Placement courses in chemistry, physics, and calculus. She was an honor roll student and co-president of the National Honor Society.

“Playing three sports in high school taught me a lot about time management and putting things in perspective in terms of priority, that my schoolwork always came first,” said Noel, who worked at the Revere Recreation Department during the summer.

At UMass/Lowell, she stayed active in sports, participating in intramural softball and basketball.

Jacqueline recently attended her RHS fifth-year class reunion, joining former basketball teammates Gena Restiano and Caitlin Caramello and others at the event in which she served on the planning committee.

“It was great to see everyone and look back on the great times we shared at Revere High,” said Jacqueline.

 

More goals ahead for

an ambitious young lady

Jacqueline is enjoying her position at MGH and is looking to add to her already-impressive academic credentials. She plans to pursue a doctorate in nuclear engineering.

“That’s my next stop,” said Jacqueline. “I hope to begin in September at UMass/Lowell. “My hope is to complete the program in three years.”

Beyond that, she may return to the classroom one day as a college professor.

“Teaching would be something of interest to me,” said Jacqueline. “I always thought that a way to be knowledgeable is to share your knowledge.”

A role model for youths aspiring to study science, Jacqueline believes that UMass/Lowell would be a great choice for RHS students.

“I have received a great education [at UMass/Lowell],” said Jacqueline. “I always felt that I was never alone in college, that someone, a teacher, an adviser, was always there for you – and my parents were only a phone call away.

“The facilities were excellent. It’s a very, up-and-coming university,” she added. They’re doing a lot of building and innovation.  The chancellors [former Chancellor Martin Meehan and current Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney) have done a great job. It’s very exciting what is happening there. I’d be more than happy to talk to Revere students about attending the university.”