Skelos Congratulates 6 Semi-finalists Of The Intel Science Talent Search

New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) met with six semi-finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search from Lawrence High School to congratulate them on their outstanding achievement. Those student are: Nicole Benvin, Stacey Feinsot, Michael Klein, Marisa Rosen, Lauren Tonetti, and Erin Wagner. The Science Talent Search (STS) is America's oldest and most highly regarded pre-college science competition.

"It is truly an honor to be able to represent smart and innovative young people such as these students," said Senator Skelos. "These talented individuals are the future scientists of our State and Country with an unlimited amount of potential which we have to encourage and help grow."

For more than 60 years, this competition, often referred to as the "junior Nobel Prize", has provided an incentive and an arena for U.S. high school seniors to complete an original research project and have it recognized by a national jury of highly regarded professional scientists. The projects are a result of inquiry-based learning methods designed to nurture critical reasoning skills, to experience science through the use of the scientific method, and to demonstrate how math and science skills are crucial to making sense of today's technological world and making the best decisions for tomorrow. In 1998, Intel Corporation assumed sponsorship of the program previously sponsored by the Westinghouse Foundation as a way to recognize and reward excellence in science and to encourage more young people to explore science and technology.

Senator Skelos met with the students to congratulate them and talk to them about the importance of math and science in a global economy. He wanted to stress the need to think outside of the box and always strive for excellence.

###