Two Named Intel Semifinalists

Yorktown High School students Jane (JJ) Luceno and Kavya Devarakonda were named semifinalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. They were selected from 1,608 entrants representing 495 high schools throughout the country and overseas. The Intel Science Talent Search brings together the best and brightest young scientific minds in America to compete for $1.25 million in scholarships. Kavya and Jane will each receive a $1,000 award, and an additional $2,000 will be given to Yorktown High School to further excellence in science, math, and engineering education.

JJ Luceno’s Science Research project is Sustainable Aquaculture: Maximizing Duckweed Protein Content Through Fertilization. JJ has been studying ways to produce a high protein content of the small, ubiquitous, floating plant duckweed. Under ideal conditions the protein content of duckweed can reach 30-45%, which makes it a protein rich, inexpensive food source for raising fish. Her research explored methods to maximize the protein composition of duckweed through sustainable practices. She was able to identify ways that developing nations can grow duckweed to support low-resource fish farms that are used to provide sorely needed food and protein for their communities. J.J.’s research specifically focused on helping the country of Haiti, where she travelled to do her research, investigate the ability to create duckweed ponds that will be used to build commercial fish feeds for their fish farms.

Kavya Devarakonda, who is also the senior class salutatorian, presented a research paper, Investigating the relationship between procrastination, self-esteem, and perfectionism in high school students.

Kavya’s research has augmented previous studies that have shown that low self-esteem and a high level of perfectionism lead to increased procrastination. Kavya created a questionnaire using the three scales of Lay’s Procrastination Scale for Student Populations, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and Frost’s Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, which was distributed to 380 high school students in the Westchester area. Statistical analyses on the data showed that there was a 100% negative correlation between procrastination and self-esteem among the participants, and a negative correlation between procrastination and perfectionism among low procrastinators. The analysis also demonstrated that there was a 100% negative correlation between perfectionism and self-esteem. Kavya’s work is opening up new possibilities for the reduction, and possible elimination, of procrastination by targeting an individual’s self-esteem and perfectionism.

According to the Science Talent Search website, the STS “is America’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school seniors. Since 1942, first in partnership with Westinghouse and since 1998 with Intel, the competition has provided a national stage for America’s best and brightest young scientists to present original research to nationally recognized professional scientists. Each spring, 40 finalists are selected from a nationwide pool of thousands to attend the week-long Science Talent Institute in Washington, D.C. There, students have the opportunity to present their research projects to the general public and members of the scientific community at the National Academy of Sciences, meet with distinguished government leaders and participate in a rigorous judging process. Over $1 million is awarded annually to Intel STS participants and their schools. Awards range from $5,000 scholarship grants and laptop computers for all finalists to the grand prize of a $100,000 college scholarship.