Community support can help local student win STEM award

McKayla Inghram - Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)- Lakewood Ranch High School (LRHS) senior Addison Shea is one of the final 30 contestants in the STEM Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and everyone in the community can help her win.

“The STEM Breakthrough Junior Challenge is an international scholarship competition. We’re tasked to make a two-minute video about a complex math or science topic and make it understandable to a common audience,” according to Shea.

“The competition is partially funded by Khan Academy, which explains the educational aspect of the competition.”

To win, the contestant must receive the most amount of ‘likes’ on their video. Voting runs through Friday, Sept. 20.

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Initially, 2,500 students were selected from around the world. A series of peer, administrative and evaluation panel reviews then narrowed down to 30. The winner of the challenge receives a $250,000 scholarship, their high school receives a $100,000 science lab, and their selected teacher wins $50,000.

Shea stated, “It would be really incredible if I won. I could go to an out of state university without debt and fulfil my passion for learning. Also, our school would get a new lab, which would be great for future students.”

Shea’s STEM video is posted on both YouTube and Facebook. Sharing the video with others would greatly help the cause.