The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the American Farm Bureau Federation are honored to have awarded the achievements of the 2012 $1,000 Agriscience Student's Award Columbus Scholar:

Michelle Chin

Junior
West Shore Jr./Sr. High School
Melbourne, Florida

Michelle's science research concentrates on genetic engineering and biotechnology using organic and transgenic crops. Under the supervision of Dr. Sixue Chen at the University of Florida, she worked on her project that uses plants to phytoremediate selenium contaminants, an effective, inexpensive and non-intrusive means of in situ reduction and removal of environmental contaminants. Michelle was a finalist at the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, as well as one of five Florida delegates to attend the 50th National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium. She hopes her research will aid worldwide efforts to alleviate chemical run-off and environmental pollution.

In 2011, Michelle won the Green Connection scholarship, sponsored by the French government, and studied environmental protection in Paris and La Rochelle for two weeks. Her trip to France fostered her passion for protecting the environment which led her to create a website to promote sustainability. She was recently selected as one of the 2012 Ying's Scholars in the Dr. Nelson Ying Science Competition, which encourages students to help humanity through science research.

Michelle's interests outside of science include music, foreign languages and traveling. She serves as President of the National French Honor Society, principal cellist in her school's advanced chamber orchestra and a member of the National Honor Society and All-Academic team. Upon graduation, Michelle plans to double major in biology and business.

The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the American Farm Bureau Federation are honored to have awarded the achievements of the 2012 $1,000 Agriscience Student's Award Columbus Scholar:

Jill Dolowich

Senior
Jericho High School
Jericho, New York

Jill recently graduated from Jericho High School in Jericho, New York, as the Valedictorian. She has developed a strong interest in environmentalism and conservation through her extensive entomology research at both Yale University and Michigan State University. She was interested in exploring honeybee populations, and ultimately her goal was to spread the word about the environmental impact of declining insect populations. In 2011, Jill was selected as a National Young Naturalist Award Winner and as a semifinalist in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search competition. Additionally, Jill has received various awards at the regional, state and national level, including an honorable mention for her entry in The DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition.

Jill has been involved in many activities throughout high school. Her passion for writing about scientific and environmental news led to her role as New York Correspondent for Mother Nature Network. She also authored an article entitled, "Flight of the Honeybees," in the Johns Hopkins University national online publication (Cogito.org). At Jericho High School, Jill was the president of National Honor Society and she was very involved in several clubs such as Model UN.

In the fall, Jill will be attending Yale University, where she will continue her passion for scientific research. Jill intends to major in Biology and Environmental Studies.