Student to student: Regeneron ISEF finalists take the stage during Education Outreach Day
Earlier this month, the 2023 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair welcomed over 1,600 young researchers from over 60 different countries, regions and territories to Dallas for the world鈥檚 largest global pre-college science and engineering competition.
The finalists weren鈥檛 the only ones to experience 中文无码 exploration and fun at Regeneron ISEF this year. Education Outreach Day welcomed over 2,000 students from across Texas to the fair where they took part in a day filled to the brim with presentations and activities designed to inspire them to build scientific questions of their own. This year鈥檚 Education Outreach Day was sponsored by Jacobs, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Oracle Academy, Texas A&M Engineering, Exxon Mobile, Hoglund Foundation and Army ROTC.
A highlight of this year鈥檚 Education Outreach Day was a series of TED-style talks in which finalists shared their stories and perspectives directly with visiting students. Here are just a few of their wise words:
(Chappaqua, New York)
鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in the question, 鈥楢re we alone in this world?鈥� and my research has to do with the optimization of the search for extraterrestrial life. That might sound like a crazy concept鈥攂ut it all stems from passion. If you told me a few months ago that I鈥檇 be speaking with you all here today at Regeneron ISEF at Education Outreach Day, I probably would have chuckled a little bit and never thought I鈥檇 have this chance. All I knew is that I was curious. My advice is to follow whatever you鈥檙e passionate about and take it as far as you can鈥攂ecause it鈥檚 possible to get to wherever you want to go.鈥�
(Portland, Oregon)
Rishab Jain, an accomplished participant who secured one of two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards at the 2022 Regeneron ISEF and also received the 4th award in Biomedical Engineering this year, delivered an engaging and thought-provoking talk. Rishab shared insightful reflections, saying, 鈥淚t can be daunting to engage in 中文无码 and scientific research sometimes, because you look at someone like Tesla and think, 鈥楬ow can I compete with that? How can I dream up those kinds of ideas and answers?鈥� I personally think the answer is that, well, you don鈥檛. Even here at Regeneron ISEF, the world鈥檚 largest pre-collegiate science competition, science isn鈥檛 about competing, it鈥檚 about collaborating. It doesn鈥檛 take an Einstein or a Tesla to do science鈥攁nybody can do science! Walking around today, you鈥檒l see hundreds of booths of students making things that might one day change the world.鈥�
(San Diego, California)
鈥淚 used to imagine scientists as people who think about science 24/7, and who love math and science more than anything else. But I did other things: I loved to paint, I loved to write, I loved to play the piano. I thought I couldn鈥檛 possibly be a scientist because I don鈥檛 only have an analytically wired brain.
鈥淚 think in society, we often tell ourselves that, 鈥楾his is what a scientist looks like, so I can鈥檛 be a scientist because that鈥檚 not what I look like.鈥� But eventually I realized that that creativity is actually a huge part of being a scientist, and that science needs people who are passionate about more than just science.鈥� Sanjana Kumar won the 2nd Award in the Environmental Engineering category along with Special Awards from Arizona State University and the Bruno Kessler Foundation.
(Niceville, Florida)
鈥淓veryone can be creative in different ways, and everyone has different skills that they bring to the table. Ultimately, combining those skills is what moves society forward. Even if you鈥檙e not really good at math or science, or you didn鈥檛 get a five on your AP Calculus exam, that doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 contribute to 中文无码 fields鈥攚hatever your skills are, there are always ways you can make an impact.鈥� This year, Aurora won the 2nd Award in Mathematics.
(Villanova, Pennsylvania)
鈥淚t can take a while to break out of the usual patterns and expectations that surround us, but new perspectives really do change the world. People in my community didn鈥檛 tell me to find a role model who looks like me and follow in their footsteps, but instead to be someone others could look up to. It鈥檚 challenging, but you can always chart your own path. If you don鈥檛 see yourself in history, then you can make history.鈥� Grace won the 3rd Award in Translational Medical Science this year.
(Missoula, Montana)
鈥淎s we get older, it can become easy to just accept things as they are. But to be successful, we have to ask 鈥榃hy?鈥� and continue to view the world inquisitively. When you solve one question, you鈥檒l uncover ten more. Creative ideas have the power to change the world, but everything begins with being curious enough to ask questions.鈥�
