Two high school students from Bellevue, Washington, have achieved remarkable success at this month’s premier international science competition for teenagers, collectively earning $125,000 in prizes. Their innovative projects addressed critical issues: protecting Pacific salmon populations and improving mental health care
accessibility through technology.

Both students attend Interlake High School and participated in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held in Phoenix. This annual event, organized by the Society for Science, represents the globe’s most prestigious science and engineering competition for secondary school students. This year’s competition featured over 1,700 participants representing approximately 60 nations and distributed awards totaling more than $7 million.

Senior student Lakshmi Agrawal, age 18, received the Regeneron Young Scientist Award along with $75,000 for creating an economical, environmentally sustainable filter designed to remove a tire-related chemical responsible for widespread coho salmon deaths in streams throughout the Puget Sound region. The substance known as 6PPD-quinone has been determined to be a major factor in mortality events that can eliminate as much as 80% of adult coho returning to spawn in certain urban waterways.

For her solution, Agrawal utilized an unexpected source material: discarded fibers from jute plants. Laboratory testing demonstrated that her sponge-like filtration system successfully eliminated up to 80% of the toxic substance from water samples containing tire particles, while simultaneously capturing heavy metals and additional pollutants. Her method proved significantly more efficient than current filtration technologies, requiring 85% less energy for production and reducing costs by approximately 98%.

Agrawal plans to pursue chemistry and chemical engineering studies at MIT beginning this fall. Additional information about her research can be found through the competition’s project database.

Sophomore Anusha Arora, age 15, earned the F. Thomson Leighton and Bonnie Berger Family Prize for STEM Excellence along with a $50,000 award for developing a compact music therapy system powered by artificial intelligence. Her platform generates customized music in real time by analyzing the user’s emotional condition.

The technology monitors biometric data through finger-mounted sensors and processes this information using a collection of 11 AI models to identify emotions and create responsive musical compositions instantaneously. Testing revealed that users experienced measurable decreases in stress and anxiety levels while demonstrating improved engagement with therapy sessions compared to traditional methods.

Arora created this platform after recognizing a significant barrier in mental health treatment. While music therapy has earned clinical recognition as an effective treatment modality, factors including high costs, limited provider availability, and inconsistent insurance coverage make it inaccessible to the majority of people who could benefit from it. Her project details are also available through the competition’s official channels.

Maya Ajmera, serving as president and CEO of the Society for Science, expressed her consistent admiration for the young competitors participating in the fair. In an official statement, she noted that participants arrive from diverse backgrounds, academic disciplines, and global locations, yet share a common purpose of addressing pressing challenges through rigorous methodology, creative thinking, and unwavering commitment.

Ajmera emphasized that during times requiring innovative solutions, these young scientists demonstrate the potential for positive change. She stated her profound optimism regarding future possibilities, given the caliber of work presented by these students.

The achievements of both Bellevue students highlight the exceptional scientific talent emerging from the Pacific Northwest and underscore the importance of supporting youth engagement in STEM fields to address environmental and health challenges facing communities today.