U of U Science Day Sparks Student Interest

On Saturday, November 15^th, over 500 high school students gathered at the University of Utah to explore future career options. Many students from Highland, East, West, Skyline, and Olympus attended, and a few students even travelled hundreds of miles to be there. University professors and other professionals lectured students and provided hands-on projects to stimulate learning. One of the major highlights of the event was the give-away of $6000 worth of scholarships.

Each student registered for three workshops, which ranged from the composition of stars to the science of death and mayhem. It gave students the opportunity to become familiar with the campus and get to know what the College of Science has to offer, particularly in science, math and engineering. All of the seminars taught students about the importance of scientific research, and encouraged them to one day join the University, study their passion, and make a difference in the world. Lecturers included the incentive to study in that particular field, and what jobs fall into that category, providing students with all the knowledge necessary to choose a career path.

The staff was warm, welcoming, and offered information about potential scholarships and grants. One program in particular, ACCESS, is a program exclusively for females wanting to study science at the University of Utah. Once accepted, the participants take part in a seven- week science course taught the summer after senior year, and live on-campus. Each ACCESS student receives $3500, along with other scholarships and grants they receive, and the program does not conflict with most other scholarship opportunities. ACCESS students tend to graduate with higher GPA’s, more lab and research experience, and better career connections than other students. Other programs are also offered for high school students of both genders. Taking place during the summer are Bioscience Research, Chemistry, and math programs. For details on these, visit the University of Utah’s website, or contact your science teacher.