2009 California State Science Fair
Student of the Year

The award citation for Ronit Abramson at the Awards Ceremony reads:

The Student of the Year award represents more than just academic excellence. The Student of the Year is also a well-rounded high school senior who performs community service, has interests and hobbies outside of science, and is someone who shows leadership to their peers. This year’s winner embodies all of this and more.

Our Student of the Year has an understanding of how science is interlaced in her community and in the world. She has applied her passion for science and science fairs into a volunteer role as co-chair of the Student Advisory Board for her regional Science and Engineering Fair. Her experience with the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp, a summit of international teenagers in the Canadian Arctic to study polar bears and climate change, compelled her to look at science holistically and beyond the classroom. She believes that science should be integrated into other fields such as business, law, politics and education to arrive at better solutions.

All this is on top of completing 11 advanced placement courses while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. Please join me in applauding our 2009 Student of the Year — from Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego County — Ronit Abramson!

Her project: S1701

Ronit B. Abramson, Grade 12
Cell Wall Formation from Marine Diatom Protoplasts: Implications for Novel Transformation and Nanotechnology Techniques
Advisor: Ms. Wendy Slijk
School: Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego, San Diego County