鈥淥nce you start learning science, everything becomes so beautiful!鈥�
That鈥檚 what 18-year-old Hillary Diane Andales told us this past November. David Micklos, Executive Director of CSHL鈥檚 , and Brian Stallard, co-host of the Lab鈥檚 Base Pairs podcast series, visited Hillary in Leyte, Philippines for what they thought was the final chapter in a story about a gifted high school student giving back to her school.
In 2016, Hillary entered the Junior Breakthrough Challenge—a spin-off of Silicon Valley鈥檚 prestigious Breakthrough Prize—which asks high school students to make a video about their favorite concept in science or math.
Among the thousands of submissions from all over the world, was voted the most popular, with a whopping 40,000 Facebook 鈥渓ikes.鈥�
And while the video did not win the competition鈥檚 grand prize, it did earn Hillary鈥檚 Science High School a new $100,000 laboratory classroom designed and equipped by CSHL鈥檚 DNA Learning Center.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I am so very grateful,鈥� Hillary told us when we met her. 鈥淣ow, so many can benefit from it.鈥�
Micklos had traveled to Hillary鈥檚 school in Leyte to guide teachers from around the Philippines in the use of their new equipment, but while there, Stallard learned that Hillary wasn鈥檛 yet 鈥渢hrough鈥� with Breakthrough!
Alongside Base Pairs co-host Andrea Alfano, Stallard had been recruited to judge the very best video submissions for 2017鈥檚 Junior Breakthrough Challenge. And so, while visiting the new lab, he was secretly made aware that Hillary—having again—this time had taken first prize!
This past December, Hillary鈥檚 accomplishment was revealed to the world. Awarded a $250,000 scholarship and another $100,000 for her school, the high school senior could hardly contain her joy as she took a bow alongside some of the brightest minds in science.
鈥淎ctually winning this year is quite the culmination of my two-year journey,鈥� Hillary exclaimed. 鈥淭o have a happy ending, and inspire so many young girls and boys—even from a small country—to embrace science and dream big just like I did.鈥�
Written by: Brian Stallard, Content Developer/Communicator | [email protected] | 516-367-8455