Lexington, SC 05/29/2024 - The Center for Inquiry’s (CFI) ScienceSaves program is pleased to announce the winners of its 2024 Video Scholarship Contest. This year, ScienceSaves received more than 400 incredibly inspiring submissions from college-bound high school seniors across the United States, each detailing the impact science has had on them or someone they know personally. All the video entries were judged on their ability to tell a brief, compelling personal story using original photos, video clips, and text.
“Watching these videos, I found myself in awe of the creativity and skill these students exhibited,” said Bertha Vazquez, CFI’s award-winning director of education. “It was very powerful, very inspiring. Each of the videos showed a real appreciation for the power of science, and I’m excited for ScienceSaves to share these stories with the world.”
ScienceSaves judges selected the top three scholarship-winning videos, with fourth place being a “People’s Choice” selection based on voting conducted on the ScienceSaves website. An additional group of videos were selected as Honorable Mentions; each of the winning students will receive a cash scholarship prize.
This year’s winning entry was submitted by Isabelle Haeft from Hartford, Wisconsin. Her video describes how an innovative transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure that was approved by the FDA in 2019 saved her grandfather’s life and will save many more lives in the years to come. As the first-place winner, Haeft will receive a $10,000 scholarship.
The second-place video came from Grace Hur of Madison, Alabama, who will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Rachel Miller from Lexington, South Carolina, submitted the third-place finisher and will receive a $1,000 prize. The People’s Choice Award winner was Alexis Williams from Frisco, Texas, who will also receive a $1,000 scholarship prize.
Honorable Mention winners were Jordan Kehoe from Corning, California; Madison Morgan from Arvada, Colorado; Claire de la Paz from Henderson, Nevada; and Oluwatoyosi Dada from White Marsh, Maryland.
“ScienceSaves was created for individuals from all over the country to share how the power of science has transformed their lives,” said philanthropist Todd Stiefel, the founder of ScienceSaves. “The Video Scholarship Contest is a great reminder of how many people live better, longer lives thanks to science. Each one of these videos represents a life transformed by science. I’m proud to recommend these videos to anyone who wants to add hope and inspiration to their day.”
CFI’s ScienceSaves is a non-partisan, pro-science advocacy program that aims to generate an increased appreciation for the role of science in our everyday lives. ScienceSaves highlights stories of how science has benefited human outcomes, unleashed human potential, transformed lives, and given humanity the tools to overcome the most pressing issues of our world.
Bertha Vazquez is available for interviews and further comments regarding ScienceSaves as well as all the other great educational initiatives and resources that CFI produces. You can also learn more about ScienceSaves on our website, ScienceSaves.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Comments