Ebony Rush’s Trip to ACR/ORNL
My name is Ebony Rush. I’m a senior at Booker T. Washington High School. I recently attended the 2013 Appalachian Regional Commission/ Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ARC/ORNL) High School Summer Math-Science-Technology Institute during July 6-19, 2013. Only a few students from each state of the Appalachian Region were chosen to participate in this interesting program. I was nervous at first because it was my first time leaving my family for 2 weeks out of state on a plane. However, I knew this would be an amazing experience for me because my goal is to become a veterinarian. I was the only African-American female student from the state of Alabama which was a little intimidating. Nevertheless, I kept my head high and represented my school to the best of my ability.
During the program, we toured, learn, and study at the ORNL. The students were divided into groups to do projects and present them at the end of the program. Luckily, each group has a mentor and/or mentors to help and teach them about their assignments, so you won’t feel lose. My group members were Bryan Stanley from Chatsworth, Georgia; Brandy Tarby from Bolivar, New York; and Jaylan Walker of Okolona, Mississippi. Our assignment was the complex molecule lignin and our mentor was Doctor Amit Naskar. Lignin is a very complex polymer found in trees. It is naturally produced in high amounts in trees and acts as glue between cellulose and hemicelluloses.
We didn’t just do work every day; we also had fun. We went a boat ride with dinner and dancing. We went to WonderWorks and Dolly wood Theme Park. WonderWorks was like an indoor amusement park; it really fun. Dolly wood had roller coasters, water parks, restaurants, fast foods, arcades, theme park, and etc. My favorite part of the program was when we visited the Veterinary Program. The veterinary program discussed different kind of animal’s diagnosis, checkups, and treatment and why certain animals are near to extinction. I highly recommend the ARC/ORNL program for 11th grade students who are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). I want to thank Ms. Hope A. Debose, my past counselor, for recommending me as one of the students to participate in this outstanding program. For more information about this program and closing presentation go to http://www.orau.org/arc-ornl/2013/index.html. On this website, we are able to the participants, projects, activities, gallery, and videos. The Closing Event Video has the presentations.
