Byram Hills Senior Takes 8th Place In National Regeneron Contest Final

ARMONK, NY — A Hudson Valley teen is already globally building a reputation for her research that has already changed the way we see the world.

A Byram Hills High School senior took home the eighth place prize Tuesday night in the 2023 Regeneron Science Talent Search, the oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. 17-year-old Samantha Milewicz, of Armonk, received a $60,000 award in a field of 40 finalists from across the nation.

According to the Society for Neuroscience, Milewicz's award-winning project examined how the body's normal immune reaction to traumatic brain injury can cause secondary damage to the blood brain barrier by overproducing a protein, MMP-9, that is normally helpful. She found that by reducing the overproduction of the MMP-9, the barrier better maintained its structure, which may lead to future therapies.

"Samantha has been recognized as one of the top young scientists in our country today," Stephanie Greenwald, director of the Byram Hills Authentic Science Research Program, said. "Words cannot express how proud the entire Byram Hills community is of Samantha. Congratulations on this magnificent achievement."

You can watch Milewicz discuss her project here:

Milewicz presides over four clubs at Byram Hills High School, where she is a member of the principal's advisory committee and editor-in-chief of the school paper. She also volunteers as a firefighter, is a certified EMT and a freelance photographer who displays and sells her artworks at galleries. Milewicz says that she aspires to be a surgeon one day.

At last night's awards, winners took home more than $1.8 million combined and were honored at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster Soledad O'Brien. Finalists were evaluated based on their projects' scientific rigor, their problem-solving abilities and their potential to become STEM leaders.

"Congratulations to the winners of the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. "These young leaders are the stewards of our future. I am in awe of their creativity and conviction."

The full ceremony with the unveiling of the top 10 finalists can be watched here and the virtual public exhibition of projects can be found here.

"Congratulations to the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023 winners, and to all our impressive finalists," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder, President and CSO of Regeneron, and a 1976 Science Talent Search finalist and top winner. "My experiences participating in the Science Talent Search changed my life, helping convince me to devote my life to trying to use science to cure disease. I can only hope this year’s students will be similarly inspired to become the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators that will develop and advance solutions for the world’s greatest challenges."

Three other Westchester County students were in the group of 40 finalists: Ariella Maia Blackman from Harrison High School, Cindy DeDianous from Scarsdale High School and Joseph Miguel Robertazzi from Ossining High School. They will each be receiving $25,000 awards.

All 40 finalists will join the ranks of other Science Talent Search alumni, many of whom have gone on to have world-changing careers in STEM fields, and some of whom have earned some of the most prestigious honors in science and math, including the Nobel Prize, National Medal of Science and MacArthur Foundation Fellowships. Regeneron awarded a total of $3.1 million in prizes this year, including $2,000 to each of the top scholars and their schools.

SEE ALSO:

• 4 Hudson Valley Teens Among 40 Regeneron Contest Finalists
• 32 Hudson Valley Students Named Regeneron Scholars For 2023
• Byram Hills HS's Samantha Milewicz Is A Regeneron Contest Finalist
• Harrison HS's Ariella Maia Blackman Is A Regeneron Contest Finalist
• Scarsdale Senior Among 40 Regeneron Contest Finalists
• OHS Student Named Finalist in Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023