2016 California State Science Fair
Science Fair Student of the Year

The award citation at the Awards Ceremony reads:

The Student of the Year award represents more than just academic and science fair excellence. The Student of the Year is also a well-rounded individual who understands and gives back to community, has interests and hobbies outside of science, and is someone who shows leadership to their peers. This years winner embodies all of this and more.

Our Student of the Year has a passion for science and a strong sense of their community and their inequalities. This year’s student has been actively involved with science fair but more importantly, the idea that science education should be accessible to everyone. This student not only understands the importance of science, but also how it can affect the psychology and well-being of a person. They have worked to bring science education to underserved youth in their own school and worked with several disadvantaged communities locally and globally.

Please join me in applauding our 2016 Student of the Year — from Troy High School in Fullerton, Orange County — Varun Mandi.

Varun Mandi presented the following project this year: S0524. He has also presented projects in these previous years: 2012 and 2015.