For most parents, the school science fair is a dreaded event, a few weeks of convincing your kid to write on a board and talk about an experiment that they had no part in helping you with. This is why Erin Holt-Sandoval’s parents tried to dissuade her from entering as a child.
But the Highland senior would hear none of it and entered the district science fair with no parental aid. And then she placed.
A scientist was born.
Holt-Sandoval was recently awarded the Sterling Scholar award in science, a subject she felt drawn to from a young age after conversations with her father, who works in genomics. He captivated her with explanations of biodiversity in backyard bird species and showed his daughter that happiness can be found in the workplace if you are passionate about what you do.
“She was always very smart and loved dinosaurs,” Holt-Sandoval’s father said, “but it wasn’t until she got older that it became clear that she had a general love for science.”
As she grew, science cemented itself as her favorite subject in school. A love that came both from her interest in research and her bigger passion for helping people.
“It combines my two favorite things. I like learning new things, and I like finding ways to make people happy and help them,” Holt-Sandoval said.
Within the vast world of scientific thought, molecular biology has captured Holt-Sandoval’s attention the most, driven by her Chilean American heritage and the possibilities it has for health care aid. Throughout her high school career, the scholar has stayed busy; she is a member of Highland’s IB program and wrote her biology IA on salt concentrations in wheat grass. She is also participating in oncology programs at the University of Utah and scientific enrichment projects with the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and many more scientific projects.
Her focus on cancer research and interest in health is also inspired by her relationship with her father. While Holt-Sandoval was participating in a summer health care program with Columbia University last year, her father was diagnosed with cancer. This experience pushed her passions further and affected how she plans for her future.
“Being able to find cures for families going through that is huge for me,” Holt-Sandoval said.
She intends to go into biostatics, hoping to earn a degree from the University of Utah and continue to research. Her biggest goal is to aid in health care and equity, working to discover diseases, and help identify the causes of unknown ailments. This goal is part of what pushed her to earn a sterling scholar, since the recognition for her work now will aid in getting her into better programs going forward.
Outside of school, Holt-Sandoval is a lover of music and even plays violin in Highland’s orchestra.
“She loves music and shows me things about music theory that astound me,” Holt-Sandoval’s father said.
But if she’s not on the stage, you could expect to find her at a protest. Just this last month, she organized Highland’s anti-ICE walkout. Her drive for social justice stems from that same passion for helping people that makes her such a great scientist.
“Erin has a heart of gold,” Holt-Sandoval’s father said. “I call her my little activist, and I think that she is going to save the world someday.”
But it’s not all work that keeps her motivated; Holt-Sandoval says that her family, from her inspirational father to her caring mother and siblings, has been instrumental in supporting her. She spends much of her time with her family and puts an emphasis on her culture and heritage.
“I think if you put all my friends and family together, that’s how you get me,” Holt-Sandoval said.
