Click Here to Watch the 2020 GALS Presentation Video!
Syr’Riyah Alston
High School: Jordan High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 9th
Fun Fact: I like to play sports.
Favorite Thing About Science: There is always more to learn.
Favorite Memory From GALS: The last day when we all had lunch together.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: What a testable question is.
Future Career Aspirations: Physical Scientist or Nurse Practitioner
Research Question: Is there a greater variety of bugs in the forested area or in a non forested area? Which area has the greatest number of bugs?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AqzvVDS0nldT_M41m8vI5B5in-7kvFe2ar2OBdbXRnE/edit?usp=sharing
Gargi Dixit
High School: Green Hope High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: College Freshman
Fun Fact: In 2018, I spent ten days camping and hiking in the Himalayas with a group of friends.
Favorite Thing About Science: I love asking questions and exploring curiosities that I see around me!
Favorite Memory From GALS: Seeing other participants share their creative writing and artwork!
One Thing You Learned During GALS: How to examine the soil profile of my backyard.
Future Career Aspirations: Scientist or healthcare professional.
Research Question: Are the trunk circumference and average leaf length of red maples related?
Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cCJkNYE-YHa6FxuXoMNpg4mpI9LMqewY/view?usp=sharing
Monica Green
High School: Hillside High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 10th
Fun Fact: I enjoy learning about customs and traditions from other cultures and trying their food.
Favorite Thing About Science: I love how discoveries are being made about the world around us because enthusiastic individuals have a question and perform experiments.
Favorite Memory From GALS: I enjoyed chatting with all of the gals during lunch with a buddy and learning new things about each of them.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: I learned what urban hydrology is, its dangers, and what I can do to protect water quality from urban runoff.
Future Career Aspirations: Veterinarian.
Research Question: Is the soil in my yard different based on the plant growing above it?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KeFBRMVnihl1-ZhwjZmroBhKKiN-ewlRpzPVPi_UuOU/edit?usp=sharing
Mildred Landa
High School: Cedar Ridge High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 11th
Fun Fact: I enjoy playing video games and coloring.
Favorite Thing About Science: Learning new things.
Favorite Memory From GALS: When all the girls had lunch together.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: Flooding causes soil to become sandy and dry.
Future Career Aspirations: Nurse or vet.
Research Question: Are there more animals closer to humans or farther?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QNaMrpBRRMpuS96DgiOu_Z-kTIqLIFxfw7__duaUzAo/edit?usp=sharing
Dayanara Mejia
High School: Middle College High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 11th
Fun Fact: I can make really good burritos!
Favorite Thing About Science: The ability to learn new things every single day.
Favorite Memory From GALS: Seeing everyone’s presentations.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: I learned about pacing maps and how I can make one.
Future Career Aspirations: Surgeon, but I don’t know my speciality yet.
Research Question: What flower petals change color over time when smashed?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gSj2moRwqL3JEOWioRA0uzINDAgSSsvy7SVZjkvviwE/edit?usp=sharing
Crystal Sanderson
High School: Lake Norman Charter School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 10th
Fun Fact: I do horseback riding.
Favorite Thing About Science: I love collecting and learning about bugs.
Favorite Memory From GALS: Doing the dirt painting and getting to know everyone.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: You can use lichen to help determine your air quality.
Future Career Aspirations: I’m not sure yet.
Research Question: Are there more bees on taller or shorter plants?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12F-lHRlJhRHhBz0E6xAdOx_ZF-aIIncPbgDR9djN7u8/edit?usp=sharing
Rani Shelton
High School: Scholars Academy
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 10th
Fun Fact: I love ziplining and all types of heights!
Favorite Thing About Science: Being able to pursue my own interests and help people at the same time.
Favorite Memory From GALS: The last day when everyone had lunch together.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: To be a scientist you don’t have to fit a specific mold. You can be exactly who you are and still greatly contribute.
Future Career Aspirations: Neuropsychologist.
Research Question: Is there more plant diversity in a forested area or a non-forested area?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Fgyh7mJG1YgV0JDeN5be-Gnjgu_qR4qvjo-85W05i3U/edit?usp=sharing
Jordan Watt
High School: Fuquay-Varina High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 12th
Fun Fact: I am obsessed with cryptids like Bigfoot, Mothman and the Chupacabra. I also once built a conspiracy board around the Roswell alien conspiracy theory for a school math project.
Favorite Thing About Science: I’m an adventurous person, and the scientific method is entirely based around questioning the status quo, which I love to do. The pursuit of science embraces the unknown and encourages exploration, which makes it hands down the coolest thing to study.
Favorite Memory From GALS: At the very end of GALS, after all our presentations, we were doing a closing circle and nobody wanted to leave the Zoom call. We all were joking and laughing and messing around with our shovels, and it made me realize how close I had grown with everyone and how attached we all were to each other just from a week of online video chats.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: I learned to not be afraid to ask questions, because questions are embraced with vigor in science. I also learned that while collapsible shovels seem like a cool idea in theory, working with them can sometimes be as difficult as trying to convince a rock that it is a cabbage.
Future Career Aspirations: I want to study so many fields that it’s impossible to choose a career. I want to learn more about environmental justice, chemistry, ecology, environmental science, biology, physics, EVERYTHING. How can a girl choose?!?!? There’s too much to explore.
Research Question: Are tree lichen more likely to be present on trees with more direct sunlight?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Y4uobIA8dLcGbMxb_1NPHcPFyS0TxKV_OHIOsTEVhy8/edit?usp=sharing
Samariyah Worthy
High School: North Mecklenburg High School
Grade During 2020-2021 School Year: 9th
Fun Fact: I run track.
Favorite Thing About Science: Experiments!
Favorite Memory From GALS: When we presented our independent projects.
One Thing You Learned During GALS: Environmental justice.
Future Career Aspirations: Physical therapist.
Research Question: Is there a difference between soil types in the sun vs the shade?
Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-PLPtG_q0VLT1I95IhF8OnHTkeIWpwEeyXczzeNKzf0/edit?usp=sharing
GALS NC 