Congratulations to our star student Maya Gandhi! Earlier this year Maya was announced among the 30 finalists in the 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge — the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students.
Maya got to be flown to Washington, DC to participate in the Finals Week of the competition and in the end of the week Maya was called among the top 5 winners in the competition.
Maya (14) from Anaheim, won the $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award for demonstrating excellence in science, technology, engineering or math, along with the leadership and technical skills necessary to excel in the 21st Century STEM workforce and build a better community for tomorrow. Maya explored different substances to boost energy output of plant microbial fuel cells, which generate electricity using living plants and microbes.
“Congratulations to our inaugural class of Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge winners!” said Dr. Karen Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific in the press release. “These exceptional students are future changemakers in their chosen fields, and they are also role models for all young learners who aspire to improve society through STEM. We are honored to celebrate their extraordinary talent and passion and look forward to seeing how their projects positively impact our world.”
Watch Maya accepting the award and speaking: