SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers High School’s Isabella Wissa was recently named one of the 106 champions in the National STEM Challenge for her research into the debilitating effects of infantile spasms (IS).
Wissa and the other winners have been invited to an expenses-paid National STEM Festival in Washington D.C. in March, where they will present their projects to corporate executives, government officials, and the media.
She was thrilled to learn she had been recognized for the project she’s been working on for almost a year and that is close to her heart.
“I am excited for the potential it has to help infants, especially in the developing world,” Wissa said.
When she learned she had won, she added, “It felt like all the hard work and late nights were worth it. I couldn’t stop smiling—it was such a surreal and joyful moment.”
The National STEM Festival invited students in grades 7-12 from all U.S. states and territories to submit STEM innovations, inventions and research across six categories – Aerospace Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Future Food, Health and Medicine, Powering the Planet and Tech for Good.
This is Somers’ first year in the competition, which was started last year by the education streaming service EXPLR. Wissa was one of three finalists from Somers High School who submitted videos of their research for the final round.
The others were Caroline DiMella and Anya Khurana.
Together, they made up a quarter of the 12 students chosen from New York State.
“This is a huge accomplishment for Isabella, and it’s amazing that one of our students was able to win the top prize in our first year of participating in this competition,” said science research teacher William Maelia. “Isabella put in countless hours in the laboratory at New York Medical College over the summer, and to see her work recognized is truly wonderful. Isabella is conducting graduate-level research and should be very proud of what she has achieved.”
In addition to participating in the festival, each champion will receive free access to EXPLR’s educational streaming video and curriculum platform for the teacher of their choice. They also will benefit from mentoring and networking opportunities.
“I’m genuinely excited to meet the students I’ll be competing with,” Wissa added. “It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for making a difference. I know they’ll be incredibly talented, and I’m looking forward to learning from them too.”
Wissa plans to study pre-med in college with the intention of becoming a neurologist. For now, she is preparing for the March festival.
“I’m planning to dive even deeper into my research and do even more hands-on experimentation,” she said. “There is still more to explore!”
Article courtesy of Somers Central School District.
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