Pelham Memorial High School junior Claire Yost first took a science research class in ninth grade. Her interest in science took her all the way to a state science fair Saturday in Albany.
Yost and 54 other contestants participated in the 2011 State Teachers Association of New York State Science Congress at the College of Saint Rose. The students displayed their research projects to the public for one hour Saturday afternoon.
The majority of the contestants fell into the senior division, as did Yost. The top three students received medals, and though Yost did not, she did receive an "Excellence in Chemistry and Physics Award." She said the competition benefitted herself and her school.
"It was an excellent experience," Yost said. "People at Pelham High had not gone before, so it was a great thing for our school to send someone up there. To compete against kids who are the best in the state was rewarding."
Yost's project involved the activation of inhibitors in cells using proteins. She placed first in biology and third overall at the tri county meet in White Plains. Her stellar result allowed her to enter the state competition.
Last summer, Yost worked in a lab for the first time at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She said she would try to return to the state competition next year.
Yost's research has made her interested in the fields of biology and medicine. She said she does not yet know where she will go to college, but the junior knows she has a love for science.
"It would definitely be a career path," Yost said. "I think I've had a really good experience. I've enjoyed it so I think I'll stick with it."
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
