Four Metro East students part of Math and Science Academy
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy welcomed 238 Illinois students from 125 communities across the state of Illinois into its sophomore class, the Class of 2017.
There are four students from the Metro East area:
– Daniel Marten of Litchfield Senior High School.
– Timur Javid of Civic Memorial High School in Bethalto
– Christina Scott, who is homeschooled and
– Michael Dizon of Marquette Catholic High School in Alton
The 118 boys and 120 girls in the new class gained admission to IMSA’s residential college preparatory academy through their diverse array of academic and extra-curricular interests and accomplishments. Though the class of 2017 was selected holistically based upon many factors, their average SAT mathematics and critical reading scores were well above national averages of college-bound seniors at 674 and 607, respectively.
New IMSA President Dr. José Torres welcomed the sophomore class.
“It’s remarkable to see the talented and passionate assortment of young minds that IMSA has drawn from throughout Illinois in choosing the Class of 2017. I look forward to watching them develop at IMSA, honing their intellects to do incredible things to ‘advance the human condition’ within our community, throughout Illinois, and on a global scale.”
Admitted members of the class of 2017 include a Google Science Fair 2014 Global Finalist and runner-up of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee, a student who earned a Grand Recognition in Duke Talent Identification Program, one of the twenty youngest people ever to solve a Rubik’s Cube, First Place in Structural Technology at Illinois State University’s Technology Day, and the winner of a Centaurian Award for Volunteering.
Their extracurricular activities include coding, volunteering on sustainable farms, serving on technology planning committees, inventing new medical treatments, designing bridges for the Illinois Department of Transportation, memorizing 160 digits of pi, shadowing doctors in hospitals, and writing science fiction novels.
The internationally recognized academy develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program, and it serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry.
