Interlake HS Student A Finalist In National Science Competition

BELLEVUE, WA - An Interlake High School student has been picked as a finalist in perhaps the most prestigious science and math competition in the U.S. Eshika Saxena was one of 40 students out of a pool of 2,000 who made the Regeneron Science Talent Search finals.

Saxena, a senior, made the top 40 for designing a smartphone attachment that can analyze blood samples, allowing for quick disease identification. The attachment can be made using a 3D printer.

Being picked for the finals comes with a $25,000 award that Saxena can put toward her education. If she makes the top 10, she can win between $40,000 and $250,000. The Regeneron Science Talent Search was formerly known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

Saxena has numerous other accomplishments under her belt.

She founded a nonprofit called TakeKnowledGe that provides workshops and mentorship on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) for students. She won a Prudential Spirit of Community award for volunteer work. And, she won a 2018 Davidson Fellows honorable mention for her smartphone blood analysis tool.

Saxena will travel to Washington, D.C., in March to compete for entry into the Regeneron top 10.

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