Beaverton student takes third-place honor in national science competition

By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Oct 15, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Jaime Valdez / The Times

Beaverton’s own Nikita Gaurav impressed judges in the Oct. 6 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

Nikita Gaurav made the top three in last week’s Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in New York City.

The 14-year-old Beaverton girl and only West Coast finalist successfully demonstrated her scientific innovation and creativity in a series of individual challenges focused on the science of everyday life, topping seven other finalists.

Her work spanned topics of restoration, purification and building design. She also came up with an idea for a new invention that would prevent water from entering and damaging electronic devices.

“I enjoyed it,” Gaurav said of the national science competition in a phone call from New York. “It was nice meeting the people here and fun to be around other students with a common interest.

“The judges and coaches are so knowledgeable, and I’ve learned so much in my time here. This has been a great experience.”

Gaurav, who is a Jesuit High School freshman, earned a spot in the Oct. 6 national science competition for her strong communication skills and a creative video highlighting her science project, “Going Green with White Roofs.” The video can be viewed online at www.youngscientistchallenge.com .

She completed the project as an eighth-grader at Valley Catholic School.

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