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Whiz Kid: Sayonika Mohanta is an Epidemiologist in the Making
This Clark Magnet senior wants to improve the world through science and knowledge.
- Whiz Kid's Name/Age: Sayonika Mohanta, 18
- Whiz Kid's School: .
- Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Mohanta is a semi-finalist in the 2010/2011 "Young Epidemiology Scholars" competition.
- Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Her research, entitled “Dangerous Decibels,” relates to noise-induced hearing loss, a growing health problem especially among teens. Her study ranks among 120 winners in the nationally recognized scholarly competition open to high school juniors and seniors. If she continues into the top 60, she’ll present her findings in Washington, D.C. to esteemed judges in the world of epidemiology, the science dedicated to investigating and controlling health problems in a population. For her hearing loss study, she designed an online survey where fellow students responded to questions about their music listening behavior, hearing loss awareness and any possible hearings they might be experiencing now. “The findings were a bit strange,” says Mohanta. “Females exhibited more risky behaviors, in terms of listening to loud noises, had less knowledge about the inherent dangers, and showed more symptoms of hearing loss.”
- Bonus Whiz Kid Info: Mohanta has loved science and math for years, and proved her prowess in the subjecst as she helped her Clark Magnet teammates win this year’s Scholastic Bowl. Mohanta’s accomplishments don’t stop there. She has been the team captain four years running for the mock trial team at Clark. Nonetheless, her career goals aren't relegated the courtroom; “I’m thinking about being a neurosurgeon.," she says. "But I love public speaking and debate.” She also participates in a school outreach program called "Kids Against Tobacco Smoking." They take a presentation with fun activities out to elementary and middle schools warning of the dangers of cigarettes. “We’re very proud of it and it’s quite personal for me,” Mohanta says, “My dad is a smoker. I’ve been trying to get him to stop. I hope to encourage children never to start.”