of residents of Glen Cove New York who are advocates for public education.
Student Leaders Speak at February 2007 Coalition Meeting
Glen Cove student Ian Goldin, Coalition vice-president Larry Fischer, Intel Science Talent Search semi-finalist Michael Ding, Coalition president Helen Kotzky, and student Evan Goodman
Guest speaker Michael Ding, Glen Cove’s first Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist, attributed his interest in science competition to a field trip his tenth-grade class took to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where he saw an experiment on the separation of DNA using gel electrophoresis. Eager to learn more, he Googled electrophoresis and found a reference to Professor Jonathan Sokolov in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stony Brook University. When Ding called Sokolov he found that the Stony Brook Simons summer program for high school students had just ended, but Sokolov invited Ding to visit his lab at Stony Brook and Ding began to work in Sokolov’s lab on weekends. Sokolov, who also participates in the Garcia program for science teachers, became Ding’s Talent Search advisor.
In third grade Ding, who grew up in a scientific family, designed a science fair project to measure the statistical distribution of the number of seeds in apples, which not only gave him an example of scientific thinking, but also let him eat a lot of apples. At Glen Cove High School Mrs. Geoghegan suggested that Ding be the first ever Glen Cove student to enter the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair. Mrs. Dutchen encouraged students to apply to leadership programs in robotics, and medicine. Ding also found high school science labs to be a good introduction to experimental science, and found that field trips showed him some of the opportunities in science and broadened his views.
Ding pointed out that, in addition to the Intel Science Talent Search, Intel sponsors an International Science and Engineering Fair. Other competitions for high school students are the Siemens-Westinghouse Science Competition and the Young Epidemiology Scholars competition. Students who enter these contests get to know and make friends with motivated and competitive students from other schools. These friends offer can provide encouragement to a student who spends a lot of time studying or working in the lab.
Ding mentioned that many colleges also have summer programs for high school students. Sometimes the least expensive programs are the best because they have the best outside funding.
Ian Goldin, a Glen Cove High School Junior, described a new peer-mentoring program being designed by the Peer Leadership Club and the high school SITE team. Interested Junior and Senior students will receive training in leadership skills which will prepare them to mentor ninth grade students. The older students will earn credit for their participation, while the ninth graders will benefit by being mentored in small groups by their older and more experienced peers.