MARYSTOWN, N.L. — The futures of two young scientists from Marystown are on the RISE.
Mallory Spencer, 16, and Robert Fudge, 17, of Marystown Central High School are among this year’s recipients of the Research Inspired Student Enrichment (RISE) awards. They are presented to students who demonstrate an academic excellence in four main fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, known as STEM.
Both Fudge, and Spencer were beyond excited when they received the email informing them they'd won.
“I was pretty excited, I remember I was just lying down and I got the email…I was through the roof afterwards,” says Fudge.
The award is only given to 15 individuals across the province.
STEM includes anything to do with researching, programming, various lab work, and medical fields, and that’s right up Fudge’s alley.
“I’ve always been really interested in math, especially chemistry, just from a young age,” says Fudge.
Spencer has always been interested in the physics side of STEM, specifically as it relates to engineering.
“I’ve always enjoyed designing different things or researching solutions to different problems,” she said.
Spencer just finished her first year of physics in high school, but her love for the field began long before that. She’s participated in many physics-based programs over the years. Most recently, Spencer attended the SHAD program last summer at Queens University in Kingston, Ont.
“Definitely going away last summer also really sparked my interest in physics even more, especially engineering,” she says.
Both Fudge and Spencer are attending the Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment program in Toronto for a month, where they get to choose specific courses based on their interests.
“I leave in four days and I cannot wait,” Fudge said.
The duo were set to fly out July 6 and 7.
The experience they will gain from attending this program will help each student prepare themselves for university in the future.
“I’m hoping to get more exposure to all the different opportunities I’ll have when I go up through university,” Fudge said.
Fudge and Spencer want to pursue something within the fields of STEM once they finish high school. Both are set to graduate in 2020.