Nakeisha Jones graduated from Tufts in 2012 as an eight-time All-American in the triple jump. She qualified for the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships indoors and outdoors in each season for all four years, and capped her career by finishing fourth in the event at the outdoor nationals in May.

She was fifth at the NCAA indoor meet in March. Her highest career finish was a national runner-up effort indoors in 2010.

At the annual NESCAC championships, Jones won conference triple jump titles as a junior and senior in 2011 and 2012 and was the runner-up as a sophomore in 2010.

Her haul of All-American and conference honors was the result of much time spent perfecting her craft.

"It took a lot of dedication, discipline and hard work," she said. "A lot of patience was necessary, too. It's a very technical event and I didn't always get the results that I wanted. I kept practicing and working at it and in the end it was a very rewarding experience."

Jones was drawn to Tufts by its political science department. With a career interest in law and diplomacy, she's taking an LSAT course this summer in preparation for the exam in October. She's also looking to gain experience within the legal field and ultimately hopes to one day work as a diplomat.

"Tufts' political science department lived up to its reputation for me," Jones said. "My professors were amazing, the curriculum was rigorous and interesting and the students were very competitive."

Jones was also a four-time Academic All-NESCAC selection during her junior and senior indoor and outdoor seasons.