IN Fox Chapel Area Summer 2016 | Page 20

F HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CHOSEN FOR PRESTIGIOUS HONORS AND AWARDS ox Chapel Area School District students continue to be recognized for their academic and artistic achievements. This spring, a number of high school students have received individual awards. “I am amazed at the achievements of our young men and women who continue to raise the bar for our current and future students,” said Superintendent Gene Freeman, Ed.D. “It’s so important for our students to apply for honors and awards to broaden their knowledge and experience and to demonstrate to others what they’ve learned.” The following is just a sampling of students’ recent awards. Students Win First Place at Taiwan International Science Fair FOX CH APE L AR EA SC H OO L NE WS ox Chapel Area Senior Konrad Urban and junior Suvir Mirchandani were named first place winners in the Computer Science and Information Engineering category at the 2016 Taiwan International Science Fair. The title of their project was “Automated Illustration of Text to Improve Semantic Comprehension.” The pair developed a software system that converts natural language input into illustrations in order to improve communication with individuals who have language communication disorders. The fair was held January 25-30 at the National Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei, Taiwan. Nearly 500 students from 22 countries competed. High School Sophomore Wins Art Award Sophomore Elizabeth Kauma was named a national winner in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2016. Elizabeth won Elizabeth Kauma’s national award-winning an American Visions photograph, “Harmony in Solitude.” Medal for her photograph entitled “Harmony in Solitude.” This prestigious award designates her among the most talented young artists in the nation. This year, nearly 320,000 works of art and writing were submitted by students in grades 7-12 through regional contests and only the top one percent were recognized at the national level. Artwork was judged at the national level by panels of professional artists. Elizabeth, along with her teacher Amy Wickman, have been invited to attend national events in New York City where Elizabeth’s photograph will be exhibited June 1-3. The national ceremony will be held at the world-famous Carnegie Hall. 18 Fox Chapel Area Two Students Selected to Study in Germany Sophomore Cassidy Carson and junior Emma Paulini have been awarded scholarships to study abroad in Germany. Both students will stay with host families and attend a gymnasium (a college-prep high school). Cassidy has been selected to receive a CongressBundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship. She will spend her junior year of high school studying abroad in Germany for 10 months. Among the highlights, she, and the other students in the group, will travel to Berlin where they will address the German Bundestag (the lower house of parliament). Cassidy is one of about 250 students from the United States selected to participate in this program for the 2016-2017 school year. Her home placement in Germany will be facilitated by the American Field Service (AFS) organization. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is for motivated high school students who want to experience a culture and learn a language through a full-immersion experience. Initiated in 1983, the program was created to strengthen ties between Germany and the United States through citizen diplomacy. The program was founded in celebration of the 300th year anniversary of the first German immigration to the United States. Emma has been awarded an all-expenses-paid summer study trip to Germany. She was selected as a national winner after scoring in the 91st percentile on the Level IV 2016 National German Exam for High School Students. The exam is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). Emma is one of only 44 outstanding German students from across the nation chosen to receive the award. As a part of the trip, Emma will travel to places of cultural and historical significance. “This year’s prize winners are some of the finest students in the U.S.,” said Keith Cothrun, executive director of the AATG. “The prize is a great reward for excellence in learning German – and the best way to better get to know a fascinating language and culture through first-hand experiences living with a German family and attending school.”