Dec. 14, 2023. At the time, it鈥檚 11 days before Isha Jha鈥檚 17th birthday. It鈥檚 also when she got quite the present in advance.

Jha, a Grade 12 student at 脡cole St. Patrick High School, found out she got accepted into Harvard University that day. Now, about a month from her summer break, and three months from moving, she discussed how much the news has meant for her.

Although the possibility of studying at Harvard seems like something worth sharing, Jha kept much of it under wraps until everything was confirmed.

鈥淚 only told a select few people that I was applying,鈥� she said. In this case, that means about a handful of friends and her parents.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to jinx it,鈥� she explained.

Her friends apparently weren鈥檛 surprised that she was applying, she said.

Jha said she got her offer of admission in December. She found out by checking her email one evening after school. Apparently the email saying she got in came with plenty of confetti.

鈥淢y plan is neuroscience,鈥� she said. Compared to the other sciences, she said neuroscience has a modern edge to it that sold her on it.

鈥淚 want to be part of that new wave of discovery.鈥�

Jha added she has family in New England, which helped reassure her while applying to Harvard, which is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 good to know that even in a different country I鈥檒l still be supported,鈥� she said, adding that with 鈥渁 world-class education鈥� available in Canada, she would only leave the country to attend a top university abroad.

With no siblings in the family, the standoff between who cried first came down to Jha and her mother. That went to mom, said Jha, though she followed suit.

鈥淭hey were very excited, they were over the moon. I think they鈥檙e more excited than I am,鈥� Jha said of her parents, laughing.

It鈥檚 a big leap sure, but Jha has taken some baby steps already. She鈥檚 been on campus before and just came back from what鈥檚 called admitted students day, where she got to meet fellow future Harvard students.

Jha also did Harvard summer school. 鈥淚 basically got to take a jump at university-level classes,鈥� she explained. One of the courses she took was for neuro-science, which solidified her decision on majoring in it.

For the remaining time Jha has left in Yellowknife, her bucket list is pretty short.

鈥淚 want to take it easy. I want to enjoy the weather and summer.鈥�

She鈥檚 counting the days until graduation, which is June 21. By the sounds of it, she鈥檚 ready for the jump. That said, this isn鈥檛 a goodbye from home forever.

And it doesn鈥檛 sound like she鈥檒l be forgetting about her friends, family and loved ones any time soon either.

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy and incredibly grateful that so many people are happy for me. But at the same time, I know that these people are doing extraordinary things with their lives,鈥� she explained. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hank you for taking the time to acknowledge whatever I鈥檝e done.鈥欌��