San Luis High School junior Karely Alvarado partook in a special Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) program for high school juniors this summer. The program, MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering and Science (MITES), culminated in the MITES Semester Symposium from Aug. 6-7, in which Alvarado presented.
Alvarado spent six months in a project team studying the effect of anthropogenic climate change on Earth and explored possible habitable planets for future migration. Their research examined common habitability factors such as water, oxygen, and terrain, but also studied less familiar ones like planets' atmospheres, magnetic fields, axial tilts and climate stabilities. The team also identified promising exoplanets in other planetary systems that could meet these conditions.
“It felt nerve-wracking getting the opportunity to present to such a wide demographic of people that expanded beyond my community, even beyond the U.S.,” Alvarado said. “This opportunity went beyond just presenting. It was about the connections with my teammates, their unique perspectives, and the collaborative effort we put into our project. It was truly a unique experience I could never have replicated anywhere else. ”
The 14th Annual MITES Semester Symposium brought together approximately 240 students from across the United States to present on topics they explored and studied throughout the program.
According to a release from the Yuma Union High School District, Alvarado discovered the MITES Semester program while researching summer opportunities in her field of interest, astrochemistry. MITES Semester is a science, technology, engineering and math-oriented college preparation program. It involves two rigorous online courses, weekly virtual webinars, social events, workshops and continues with meetings into the fall.
With guidance from her school counselor, Elva Lozano, Alvarado applied by highlighting her STEM achievements, academic competitions, community involvement and past program experiences.
“Karely is a brilliant student,” SLHS English teacher Jessica DeKett said. “She is extremely enthusiastic and logical. She is great at pushing her boundaries of what she is familiar with and trying new things. Karely is always interested in finding other people who have the same passions as she.”
This reporting is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
