ROUND ROCK, Texas — A bright, young student in Round Rock ISD is aiming for a big title – "America's Top Young Scientist."
According to a report from KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman, 13-year-old Asvini Thivakaran has been named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2022 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
Thivakaran of Cedar Valley Middle School is slated to compete for the title on Oct. 17-18 at the 3M Innovation Center in Minneapolis. Along with the title comes a grand prize of $25,000
To earn a spot in the finals, students between the ages of 12 and 14 were asked to submit video entries that showcase their creativity and passion.
"The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the nation’s premier science competition for grades 5-8," the 3M website states. "This one-of-a-kind video competition has sparked a sense of wonder and discovery in hundreds of thousands of students and enhanced science, innovation and communication across the United States."
The challenge was launched in 1999 by Discovery Communications. Its mission is to "foster a new generation of American scientists at an age when interest in science generally declines." Discovery joined forces with 3M in 2008.
"I was definitely really surprised about how far I've gotten," Thivakaran told the Statesman. "I remember waiting for the call for like what felt like forever, and when I heard the results, I was very shocked at first, but after a while I was super excited and happy."
For her project, Thivakaran developed a model electric vehicle that generates clean power from its tires. That power is then used to charge electric batteries.
As a finalist, Thivakaran gets to work with a mentor from 3M, an industrial science and innovation conglomerate.
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