Intel Finalists And Semi-Finalists Honored By Westchester County Legislators

Several high school students from around the county who placed as semi-finalists or finalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition were honored Monday night by Westchester County Board of Legislators. 

The students being honored all received proclamations, posed for photographs and were greeted by the legislators in whose districts they reside.

"Westchester high school students prove themselves as being among the nation’s best—in the classroom, in athletics and in their communities," Board of Legislators Chairman Jenkins (D-Yonkers) said.

Jenkins said legislators congratulate them on their academic commitment, unceasing efforts and cutting-edge intelligence.

"It is also important that we recognize that these students received a lot of support from parents, other family members and guardians in their quest for excellence," he said. "But there is one undeniable reason why Westchester can point to so many top science, tech, engineering and math students: the quality of our schools and the educators who are dedicated to ensuring a meaningful future for our children."

Students who enter the nationwide Intel competition submit research papers using data gathered from original projects and experiments they have conducted. Often, their work is accomplished under the guidance of researchers from top universities and science laboratories.

Becoming one of the 300 semi-finalists and 40 finalists in the competition involves making it through a selection process in which letters of recommendation, essays, test scores, extracurricular activities, and high school transcripts are factored in the judges’ decisions.

In March, the 40 finalists are feted at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., and then the top 10 spots and first prize winner are announced. Intel Science Talent competition awards range from $20,000 to $100,000 for the first prize winner.

This year, three Intel finalists are from Westchester: Daniel Conor McQuaid from Ossining High School; Chris Traver from Croton-Harmon High School in Croton-on-Hudson; and Jiayi Peng from Horace Greely High School in Chappaqua.

The Intel semi-finalists from Westchester are: Kevin Pawlak and Daniel Fulop from John Jay High School in Cross River; Rose Lynn Arditi, Zachary Blum, Jonathan Tyler Bricker, Christopher August Di Capua and Gregory Fishberger from Byram Hills High School in Armonk; Colette Mary McCullagh and Jeewan Naik from Plesantville High School; Linus Hamann and Tanvi Tiwari from Yorktown High School in Yorktown Heights; Angela Liu from Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua; Simon Zheng from Somers High School in Lincolndale; Madeleine Minke, Jamie Tanzer and Kathryn Elizabeth Evans from Scarsdale High School; Alex Lubkin from Blind Brook High School in Rye Brook; Joby B. Bernstein from Mamaroneck High School; Caleb Hersh, Eitan David Rude and Sam Rude from Ossining High School; Mark Moretto from Briarcliff High School in Briarcliff Manor; and Chloe Wang from Dobbs Ferry High School.