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Sam Rude, Eitan David Rude, Daniel McQuaid and Caleb Hersh bring to 45 the number of Ossining students nominated since 2001. The Talent Search recognizes 300 students and their schools as semifinalists each year in a competition for $1.25 million in awards, according to the website.
The list will be narrowed again in the coming weeks as 40 finalists are selected to go to Washington, D.C., in March to participate in final judging, display their work to the public, meet with notable scientists and compete for the top award of $100,000, according to the website.
“We are very proud of those students who have achieved so much,” said Superintendent Phyllis Glassman. “We have an excellent school district with outstanding programs and teachers and students. Once again we are maintaining our track record of excellence and we will proudly boast about the four additional students for a long time to come.”
All four students are members of Ossining’s Fundamentals of Science Research Program, which is supervised by science research teachers Valerie Holmes and Angelo Piccirillo.
“This never gets old,” said Holmes in a press release. “Every time our students are named it is new and exciting for us. It is really rewarding to work with such exceptional students and to see how much they appreciate being part of this learning community.”
Sam Rude said his friends and family treat him the same as they did before the award was announced.
“I still had to hang up my jacket last night,” he joked in the release.
Daniel McQuaid said he was surprised to have a second research project receive recognition. Last year he garnered national recognition in the Siemens Foundation Competition in Math, Science & Technology at CMU.
“I was more surprised than anything,” he said in the press release. “[The most rewarding part was] the support I received from Mr. Piccirillo and Ms. Holmes, especially since I had two papers to write.”
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