Student attends science leaders congress
BROOKLINE – Hollis Brookline High School senior Christian Santoski, of Brookline, was nominated to attend the 2015 Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders, which took place this summer at the Tsongas Arena on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
During the academic honors program, Santoski joined the audience of some 4,000 high school students from across the country and was introduced to a group of well-known leaders and innovators in science, technology and university education, including Nobel laureates, captains of industry, peer science competition winners and Ivy League educators.
The biggest honor is that Santoski was nominated by former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin, science director of the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists, to represent New Hampshire based on his academic achievement, leadership potential, and passion for science and technology. He received congratulatory certificates from U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassen.
Santoski is also an Eagle Scout candidate, with his board of review scheduled for late September.
In addition to Aldrin, luminaries included:
Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google.
David Wineland, Ph.D., 2012 recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics.
Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and founder of the FIRST Robotics competition.
Dennis Crowley, Foursquare CEO and co-founder.
Bo Eason, former NFL standout, Broadway playwright and performer story coach.
Bill Westenhofer, two-time Oscar winner for best visual effects.
Cherry A. Murray, Ph.D., dean of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The congress is an honors-only program for high school students who are passionate about science, technology, engineering or math.
"This is a crucial time in America when we need more nimble-minded and creative scientists and technologists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially," said Richard Rossi, executive director of the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists.
"Focused, bright and determined students like Christian Santoski are our future, and he deserves all the mentoring and guidance we can give him."
