Las Lunas High student, Isleta Pueblo Resident, New Mexico Tech Student, Three years in the Challenge, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-2021, Finalist achievement, one of nine projects in 2021!

Journey

Supercomputing Challenge isn't just a regular science fair; it's a journey one takes to create a high-level science fair project. And like a journey, it's the stops along the way that help change who you are.

Hardship

The Supercomputing Challenge is what it says in the name, a challenge. Not everyone has the discipline to make deadlines, and neither was I. With a great will and determination, anyone can do it and possibly pick up disciplines that will help them in life.

A Stage

I always saw the Supercomputing Challenge as a stage because for many this is the first time some of us are presenting to experts in the specific fields of study we are doing. It shows everyone's ability to complete the tasks they set before themselves and if they could complete them. Some don't, but completing the Supercomputing Challenge shows how dedicated one is to the field of study they picked and how much they want to change the world.

The Supercomputing Challenge allows us to work on our coding skills, our communication, our leadership skills, public speaking, critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving and I think that’s really impact me as well because all of that I’ve been able to learn from Supercomputing.

Interview with KRQE

Both I and my team partner Gene would like to thank the Supercomputing Challenge board for supporting and facilitating the Supercomputing Challenge.

Personally, I am very interested in computer science and hope to work within the field in the future. In this regard, the challenge provided an extremely valuable platform to expand my skills and experience within computer science, gaining a deep level of experience working with computation in a practical context. While the Supercomputing Challenge, of course, is not the only STEM project competition out there, its specific focus on computation has provided a unique opportunity to expand my skill set in this regard, while also creating a project which uses it to a deep extent. And, unlike any other competition, I have been able to be judged specifically on the computational merits of the project.

Of course, I am deeply grateful to have access to such an opportunity and would like to thank all members of the board for doing the work which allows for the challenge to thrive.

The Challenge has helped me grow as a person and find interest in the STEM field. With the help of the Challenge, I have been able to learn how to communicate effectively with my team from different schools, expand my knowledge of coding in both Netlogo and Python, and present my ideas and projects in a professional setting. It has also helped guide me in how to find resources around my community to help me with my various projects. The Supercomputing Challenge experience has had a positive impact on my future career and how to go about solving real-world problems using computational-based modeling. The Challenge has specifically emphasized preparing individuals for their future in various career paths. Graduating senior, finalist, six years in Challenge and scholarship winner.