 Scott Carlsten
Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, NM
$25,000 Distinguished Award Recipient
Scott wants to study theoretical physics at Stanford University. He says that imagination is more important than knowledge because we can always improve what we have (faster computers, better televisions, etc.) but it alone cannot lead to new ways of doing things. Imagination is what takes us to completely new ideas that will impact technology.
In 8th grade he won the regional level of the DOE Science Bowl and placed 5th in the nation. He also was on the 1st place MathCounts team. Last year he competed against all 9th grade students in the state in the Statewide Mathematics Competition and placed 2nd. This year he is the President of the DOE National Science Bowl team.
He is currently taking a full load of AP classes partly to prepare for the next DOE Science Bowl competition. When he wanted to go straight to AP chemistry and bypass advance chemistry, he had to take the mid year and final for that class to see if he would succeed at that level. He read the textbook on his own and only missed one question on one test and none on the other. His AP Physics teacher and Science Bowl Coach says, "he has a very unusual talent for science. I do not think you would find a more brilliant student. It amazes me that he is a sophomore and yet knows so much. He is one of the most remarkable students that I have had during my 20 years of teaching."
His AP Chemistry teacher says Scott often spends time in class working with other students and he can explain concepts to other students in a way that they can remember what he said. She also says, "Scott will be a leader in science. His brilliance surpasses the many bright students at Lost Alamos High School and he has a genuine love for science."
 Jimin Yoon
West High School, Salt Lake City, UT
$25,000 Distinguished Award Recipient
Jimin wants to study engineering at MIT. He has been preparing for this for many years. In 8th grade he placed 1st in the state in the American Mathematics Competition and placed 1st in the District Science Fair for a project of creating a java program to calculate the population in each county and calculate population density. He was also on the 1st place team for Mathcounts. In 9th grade placed 2nd in the state among freshman in the American Mathematics Competition. He is currently in the FIRST Robotics Club and will go to the regional and national level competitions. He is also a member of the Utah Youth Philharmonic Orchestra playing the violin. His computer science teacher says, "Jimin is one of these students who immediately stood out in my class. His ability and desire to do excellent work goes well beyond any expectations that have been set for the class." His AP calculus teacher says,"Jimin is an absolute top math student. He understands complex problems and is motivated by a desire to excel. He is one of the finest students I have taught. It's an honor teaching him."
 Katrina Hui
Richland High School, Richland, WA
$5,000 Distinguished Award Recipient
Katrina wants to study physics at the University of California at Berkeley. Although she has not taken a physics course, she has worked through half of a physics text book on her own during the summer because the subject excites and challenges her. Katrina says that knowledge alone does not guarantee success. Imagination is necessary for new ideas to solve old problems. She goes on to say that imagination is the precursor for new knowledge. She wants to be able to use her knowledge to address challenges such as energy, materials, and climate change.
She has been figure skating for seven years and enjoys thinking about the physics of the center of gravity, speed, angular motion and how they affect her spins and jumps. This year she placed second in the Northwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Competition. She also placed second in Ice Fest Seattle.
She participated in the Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair in the last two years with physics projects. Last year she won first place for her project on application of optical diffraction for the comparison of the track pitches of a CD and a DVD. She used red and green laser pointers and applied the principles of wave interference and optical diffraction and was able to determine the track pitch of a CD and DVD to less than 3% error. In 8th grade she won first place in the same competition for her project that determined the speed of sound at different temperatures. She applied the concept of harmonics and resonance to determine the speed of sound at different temperatures accurate to less than 1% error.
Mitch Davis, her AP Biology teacher, says, "Katrina's scope of success is remarkable." Rennee DeBuigne, her honors pre calculus teacher says, "Katrina is a truly gifted student with an understanding of mathematics far beyond that of the average high school student and her work ethic matches her intellectual talents."
 Nikolaos Liodakis
Hillcrest High School, Midvale, UT
$5,000 Distinguished Award Recipient
Nikolaos wants to study biology at Princeton because the subject fascinates him as it explains a majority of things from genetics to the environment. He hopes to find new advancements in energy sources. He has worked hard to stay involved in STEM areas. In 9th grade he received 2nd place in the Science Olympiad, was a national finalist in a program sponsored by Society for Science and Public, and received a United States Navy Award for a science fair project. Last year he also received an academic letter. He helped a school in Athens, Greece start up an International Science Fair and is currently President of the Junior Greek Youth Association. He is also a member of the Utah Youth Symphony Guild - plays the clarinet - and is the Class President. Last summer he took a college level calculus class at the University of Utah. The professor of that class said, "even with a class full of college students, Nikolas was one of the top students. He plans on taking as many university level math classes as he can during high school."
 Mihir Patel
Lakeside High School, Martinez, GA
$2,500 Distinguished Award Recipient
Mihir wants to pursue a degree in biochemistry as a way to combine his love for biology and chemistry and appease his passion for science education. His goal is to become a researcher and perhaps look into manipulating prokaryotic organisms such as E. coli to produce energy sources.
Mihir has competed in the Science Olympiad for two years. Last year his team won second place in the state. Mihir was the only 9th grade student on the team. He has been a member of the math team for three years and they have placed first a couple of times. Last year he received the FLAIR Award for excellence in Spanish from August State University and was also presented an academic letter. He has been on the school's math league for two years and is currently a member of Mu Alpha Theta a math honor society where he tutors students in what he calls, "the art of math."
His AP Biology teacher says, "Mihir is one of the brightest young students that I have ever taught. He has a grasp of scientific topics far above the average student his age and grade. His work is impeccable. On the science team, his is one of the most valuable members even though he is among the youngest on the team." His Accelerated Math teacher says, "Mihir often asks questions that probe beyond the concepts we are covering in class. He works methodically and is unphased by anything going on around him. He has the great combination of ability and motivation."
 Nicholas Hansen
Carbon High School, Price, UT
$2, 500 Distinguished Award Recipient
Nicholas Hansen wants to get a degree in mathematics and combine that with science and contribute to what he calls "the great project of modern science that has brought so much benefit to the world." In the 8th grade he won 1st place with his science fair project where he used electroencephalography (EEG) to see if a person could change their brainwave pattern by using a biofeedback device measuring their heart rate variability. In 9th grade his poster for that project was presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research. He was also a finalist at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair with a computer system that allowed people to turn the pages of a virtual book by blinking their eye. He also won the Kiwana's Young Scientist Award for this project. He is an Eagle Scout, a member of the National Honor Society, and ranked number one in his class. |
