Homeless Teen Named One Of Intel's Science Semifinalists

vansau

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May 25, 2010
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Homeless Teen Named One Of Intel's Science Semifinalists



A high school senior is up for one of the most prestigious science awards in the country, and her story is all the more inspiring because it turns out her family is homeless.

When it comes to high school science competitions, they don't get much bigger than the <a href=http://www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/education/sts/index.htm>Intel Science Talent Search. Roughly 1,600 high schoolers enter it every year, hoping to win a piece of the $1.25 million available in prizes and scholarships. Each year, there are some truly impressive entries by some incredibly smart students, but one of the semifinalists for the current competition is especially impressive: Not only is she still in the running, but she's also homeless.

Long Island native Samantha Garvey is a senior at Brentwood High School. Her research allowed her to learn that mussels change their shell thickness if predators (like crabs) are introduced to the environment. According to NewsDay, Garvey's spent over two years conducting research and is one of the 61 Long Islanders still being considered for the competition's grand prize, a $100,000 college scholarship.

However, Garvey and her family are homeless, and they live in a local homeless shelter. According to the girl, her family's hardships are a motivation for her to do well in school: "I want to show other people that even if you're going through something bad, if you do, there's a better side to everything ... I want better, so that's why I do well in school."

The fact that Garvey's circumstances haven't kept her from achieving such incredible academic success is pretty inspiring. If she manages to make it to the competition's finals, she'll receive a $7,500 scholarship and a paid trip to Washington DC and get an opportunity to speak with either President Obama or Vice President Biden. Hopefully she manages to make it to at least that point, but I'm sincerely hoping that she her project is awarded a higher placing and helps her forge a new, better life for herself.

Source: Geek

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Korten12

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Aug 26, 2009
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I am rooting for her! Plus she is a New Yorkian! As a fellow New York State Citizen, I proud. :D

Plus, I must admit she is quite pretty imo.
 

Ilikemilkshake

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Jun 7, 2010
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Hopefully this wont turn into the X-factor where you have to have some heart wrenching backstory to stand a chance of winning, and instead is actually based on talent.

Saying that, I hope she goes on and gets the chance to better herself and her family.
 

Scarim Coral

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Oct 29, 2010
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Wow I can't imagine the hardship's she had to go through so I certainly hope she will win it and have a good future!
 

antipunt

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Jan 3, 2009
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People like this put me to shame, because they're working so hard with so little they've got >_>

Scientific research especially, for me at least, is incredibly tedious. super slow results, and clinical trials that take months to reach that may not even yield any significant data.
 

ChaosEternal

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Feb 4, 2011
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Whenever I think I am pretty smart, I see something like that this that puts anything I know to shame. People like this are truly incredible! Regardless of whether she wins, what she discovered and how far she has already gotten would look pretty good on a resume!
 

Xanthious

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Update to this story I heard earlier today is that her school has recently helped set up her family in a new home where the family will pay 30% of what her father makes driving cab. On top of that the Marriott Group has supplied them with "several thousand dollars" worth of furniture for the new home and other people have come forward to help pick up the tab on kennel fees for the family's dog. All in all it seems like things are picking up for em.
 

NightHawk21

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Dec 8, 2010
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God on her. Wonder how she did the research though. One of my profs did a very similar study (same question and probably results) a couple years ago using snails and a large variety of tanks. Still good luck.
 

LobsterFeng

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Apr 10, 2011
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Huh, that really makes me think. If I didn't have all the nice distractions that I have, like games, internet, tv, etc. Could I possibly become this smart?
 

Vrach

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Jun 17, 2010
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Korten12 said:
Plus, I must admit she is quite pretty imo.
I could be wrong, but that looks like a generic female scientist photo. Vansau, feel free to correct me if it's the girl herself.

antipunt said:
People like this put me to shame, because they're working so hard with so little they've got >_>
^This. Hope she wins, she could certainly use it the most and getting that far with so little is nothing short of impressive, she should be given means to continue excelling herself.
 

Dogstile

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LobsterFeng said:
Huh, that really makes me think. If I didn't have all the nice distractions that I have, like games, internet, tv, etc. Could I possibly become this smart?
Depends, when deprived of things that currently distract you, do you then decide to go "well fuck, i better learn something instead" or do you go "right, what else is there to do".

If its the former, then yes :p

OT: Pretty impressive, seems like a story out of a film
 

Quellist

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Oct 7, 2010
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This is pretty inspiring, a nice kick in the teeth for those politicians who seem to assume all poor people are criminals with no aspirations.