Hinsdale South Senior Selected as Illinois Delegate to Prestigious National Youth Science Camp

Hinsdale South High School senior Anita Joseph has been selected as one of two delegates from the state of Illinois for the distinguished 2026 National Youth Science Camp.

Hosted in West Virginia since 1963, NYSCamp is a residential science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) program designed to honor and challenge the nation’s rising leaders and provide them with opportunities to engage with STEAM professionals. Delegates represent the highest levels of academic achievement in science and mathematics, with alumni including Fortune 500 CEOs, global leading researchers, and pioneering inventors.

Delegates participate in world-class lectures by STEM experts, with past presenters including Neil Armstrong, Neil deGrasse Tyson, John Nash (mathematician and Nobel laureate), Francis Collins (former head of the Human Genome Project and the NIH), and Julie Robinson (former Chief Scientist of the International Space Station Program at NASA).

Delegates also complete intensive directed studies where they delve deeper into areas such as human pathology and subterranean robotics. They take part in an adventurous outdoor program, and conclude with a trip to Washington, D.C., where they have historically had the chance to meet with congressional members.

Joseph has demonstrated consistent excellence throughout her high school career whether in the classroom or in Science Olympiad. She’s the co-president of the South Asian Student Association, National Honor Society, and South’s SAT/ACT Tutoring Organization. She’ll be attending Cornell University next fall where she’ll pursue a degree in biological sciences.