Student Bios

Congratulations Deepika - America's 2012 Top Young Scientist!
New Hampshire - Deepika Kurup
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Age: 14
Hometown: Nashua
School: Fairgrounds Middle School
Grade: 8

Deepika is a member of Science Club and Math Club. She also enjoys practicing martial arts.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: My favorite subjects in school are Math and Science. I especially enjoy finding real world applications to many math and science concepts I have learned.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I enjoy participating in various Martial Arts and have achieved a black belt in the art of Shaolin Kempo. I play clarinet and alto saxophone in my school's Jazz Band and orchestra, and I am president of my school's Tri-M Music Honors Society.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I would like to pursue a career in the medical field, specifically neurology. I am really fascinated by the human brain and its functions.

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: I really like finding science applications in everyday life, so when I heard of the Young Scientist Challenge, I was eager to participate. This year's topic was also really interesting and got me thinking about how I could change the world. Being able to communicate my ideas to the world seemed like an exciting opportunity that I simply couldn't miss!

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: There is so much science can tell us, yet there is so much more to be discovered. Science is very complex and there is never any limit to the amount that can be learned. I really enjoy the fact that with science, every new theory, innovation, or idea comes with more and more questions to be answered.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: My proudest accomplishment is finding an innovative solution to harness solar energy for water purification. I truly believe that this technology has the power to save millions of lives across the world.

California - Anin Sayana
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Age: 13
Hometown: Cupertino
School: Challenger School
Grade: 8

Anin is a member of Science Olympiad and Math Club. He also enjoys playing the piano, basketball and tennis.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: Science and Math

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I enjoy Taekwondo, playing the piano, bicycling, reading, and speech and debate. I also enjoy basketball and tennis.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I am interested in the field of neurology, because the brain is such an important, complex organ. I would really like to research illnesses that involve the brain such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, which have no definite cures.

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: Previously, I entered the Young Scientist Challenge with an invention that I learned about at the Silicon Valley Science and Engineering Fair. This year, I wanted to enter something completely new and different, so I decided to make a video that explains the targeting of cancer stem cells.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: I am most excited by the limitless possibilities of discovery through intensive scientific research, but I also love that many of the new inventions in technology and medicine will help benefit society. Science is a field of endless possibility!

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: My proudest science accomplishment is my science fair project dealing with targeting cancer stem cells using a novel configuration of carbon nanotubes. This project won the grand prize for the best biological project at the Silicon Valley Science and Engineering Fair and I am presenting it at the California State Science Fair.

Connecticut - Gabriel Mesa
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Age: 12
Hometown: Canton
School: Canton Intermediate School
Grade: 6

Gabriel enjoys playing the saxophone and soccer.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: I love math. This year I was lucky that my teacher let me do a special investigation of quadratic equations. Even though math is my favorite, lately I have been doing some cool poetry writing.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I'm on the travel soccer team and play saxophone in my school band. In my free time I like to hike, use the computer, and read.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I want to be an engineer. I'm thinking about biomedical engineering because I love to invent things and am fascinated by the structures of the human body. If I don't go into biomedical engineering, I may do biochemical engineering instead. I need to investigate all types of engineering jobs more to make the final decision - but I have a lot of time!

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: I would really love to meet and learn from a 3M scientist. It would be amazing to work on a real invention with a scientist and hear about what doing science is like in the real world.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: My favorite thing to do is invent. To me science is about invention and doing something with what you know.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: My proudest achievement was winning the state merit award last year in the Young Scientist Challenge! Everyone in town now knows me as the science kid!

Illinois - Patrick Shea
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Age: 14
Hometown: Jacksonville
School: Our Saviour School
Grade: 8

Patrick participates in Science Fairs and competes in basketball, hockey, baseball, golf, and track.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: My favorite classes are science, math, and literature.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: Sports are lots of fun. I enjoy playing basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, and playing video games with friends.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I would like to be an engineer inventor. I like to solve problems, and it would be great to solve problems using science!

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: My brothers both entered the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. My brother Dustin was a national finalist and he challenged me to come up with a better idea than he had. I think I did!

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: The scientific method allows me to mix facts and hunches and create ideas that are unique.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: I was very proud when I shared my 1st place science fair project results with the Digimarc Company and the Vice President asked permission to share my paper with their partners, clients, and employees.

Minnesota - Carolyn Jons
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Age: 14
Hometown: Eden Prairie
School: Central Middle School
Grade: 8

Carolyn is a member of school orchestra and chamber orchestra. She also enjoys playing soccer and tennis and unicycling.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: My favorite school subjects are math and science.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I play violin in my school orchestra and my school chamber orchestra. I also play soccer and tennis, and I enjoy biking and riding my unicycle. I also enjoy sketching and painting, and am now learning Chinese. I am currently in confirmation at my church, and I enjoy doing service projects.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: The career I pursue will definitely involve science and engineering.

Question: Why did you enter the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: I learned about this science opportunity through the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: I like that science requires being observant, passionate, creative, and determined. Aimed at the right problems, it can improve our lives.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: Last year I was chosen to be one of 30 finalists in America for the Broadcom Masters Competition. I placed in the top ten and won the Rising Star Award.

New York - Brandon Gong
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Age: 12
Hometown: Garden City
School: Garden City Middle School
Grade: 6

Brandon is a member of Science Olympiad, Science Club, and Math Club. He also plays the clarinet, piano, and the oboe.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: My favorite school subjects are science and math. Ever since I could remember, I have always been fascinated by the world around me. I am particularly interested in biology and engineering. I was also intrigued by mathematics at a very young age. Now, I enjoy problem solving and national-level math competitions.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I enjoy music, reading, playing chess and sports. I play piano, clarinet, and the oboe. The sports I play are fencing and tennis.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I want to become a scientist in the future. In our technologically advanced world, I will work hard to be on the cutting edge of new discoveries and advancements in the field of science.

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: I wanted to share my invention with other people and meet peers with similar interests who I will work with to solve future scientific problems someday. I also wanted to have an opportunity to learn from scientists at 3M.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: I am amazed by the capacity of science to answer questions. I love that new discoveries are being made every second.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: My project for this contest is my proudest scientific accomplishment. I am proud of myself for combining everything that I have learned about acupuncture, migraine headaches, and treatments for chronic pain into an innovation that can help millions.

New York - Aidan Dwyer
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Age: 14
Hometown: Northport
School: Northport Middle School
Grade: 8

Aidan is a member of Boy Scouts, Band, and Art Club. He also enjoys sailing, track, and golf.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: Earth Science and English Literature

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I am involved in Honor Society, Tech Crew and Art Club at school, but my favorite activity is Boy Scouts. Being in Boy Scouts has given me an appreciation for nature and the importance of preserving our environment. It has also taught me the importance of community service. I learned that being involved in even small projects can make a big difference. I am a Life Scout and I am working on my Eagle Scout Award.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: It's too early to say, but I hope that it involves using innovation to do something positive.

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: I liked the whole idea of solving problems and using your imagination to come up with an innovation to help others. I enjoy working with my hands and building things and the Challenge was perfect. I also like photography and making videos so putting together a presentation telling your story sounded like a lot of fun. And it was a lot of fun!

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: Science fascinates me because just about everything in the world comes from science or depends on scientific principles to work. What really fascinates me is that science usually creates more problems when it tries to improve life. Pollution and global warming are just two examples. But even those problems will eventually be solved with science! That amazes me the most.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: I am most proud of the innovation that I submitted for this Challenge and I think it can help a lot of people in the world. When I first started working, I wasn't sure if my idea would work, and some people told me it was not worth pursuing. I spent a lot of time working on the idea and I learned to never give up even when things don't work right or others tell you that it won't work.

North Carolina - Chase Lewis
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Age: 12
Hometown: Chapel Hill
School: Homeschool
Grade: 6

Chase is a member of 4H Club, Math Club, and Boy Scouts. He also enjoys competing in science fairs.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: Physics and literature.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I like to design Lego models, make animations, do experiments, and read. I like the challenge of making something new and discovering things I hadn't known before.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I like designing things, so I might want to be an engineer.

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: I'm always doing some kind of challenge regarding science or engineering and I like making movies, so this was the perfect contest for me.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: The thrill of discovering new things and learning information you never thought could be possible.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: This year I won first place in the North Carolina State Science & Engineering Fair in the Middle School Chemistry division and the night before that, I won first place in Middle School Chemistry at the North Carolina Student Academy of Sciences competition.

Oregon - Naren Gaurav
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Age: 12
Hometown: Beaverton
School: Meadow Park Summa Middle School
Grade: 6

Naren participates in Lego Robotics and Science Bowl. He is also learning to speak Mandarin and plays the piano, basketball and chess.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: Science, mainly Physics and Biology because it helps me get a closer understanding of the world around me.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I am currently active in Lego Robotics and Science Bowl. I am also currently learning Mandarin Chinese. I play the piano and I also play basketball. I love to play chess and I am also a part of my school's TV station.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I hope to become an entrepreneur and start a technology-based company.

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: In 2009, my sister became a finalist in the Young Scientist Challenge. I was inspired by the people I met in New York City at the final event. This competition is a creative and innovative approach to communicating scientific ideas.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: Science opens doors to new opportunities by allowing you to explore your interests in a very broad field of work. Science is in everything around us and helps to solve and improve everyday problems. It allows you to be imaginative and creative and look at things by your own perspective, which truly is remarkable!

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: My proudest science innovation is the working prototype I built to demonstrate my idea for a 100% safe electrical outlet.

Pennsylvania - Anishaa Sivakumar
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Age: 13
Hometown: Murrysville
School: Franklin Regional Middle School
Grade: 8

Anishaa is a member of Science Club, Math Club, and Science Olympiad. She also enjoys singing, dancing, Taekwondo, and tennis.

Question: What is your favorite subject in school?
Answer: First Science then Mathematics.

Question: What kind of extra-curricular activities or hobbies do you enjoy participating in?
Answer: I participate in violin string ensemble and am currently part of Westmoreland Symphony orchestra. I also play flute in my school band and am in Show Choir select ensemble. I also like taking pictures, making movies, and ballet, tap, and Indian Bharatanatyam dancing. I have enjoyed learning Indian classical singing and playing the Indian classical violin for four years. I also love tennis and Taekwondo.

Question: What career do you want to pursue and why?
Answer: I would like to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a doctor. I am inspired by her love for her patients and her practice of the "Science and Art of Medicine"!

Question: Why did you enter in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge?
Answer: While scuba diving in the Bahamas last summer, I was able to see the devastating effects of "coral bleaching" first-hand. It inspired me to do something to save the coral reefs. In my research, I found an effective non-toxic way to protect our world's coral, and I entered the Young Scientist Challenge so I could share my innovation with the world.

Question: What do you enjoy most about science?
Answer: I am constantly amazed at how science allows us to be "detectives" and figure out how every little thing we do or don't do changes our environment.

Question: What science accomplishment are you the most proud of?
Answer: My proudest science achievement was when I received an award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association at the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair.