FROM THE ARCHIVES: Whiz Kid Wins Big
By Susan McDaniels
MARCH 2, 2014- Chelsea Smith stands surrounded by cameras. She shakes her high school principal's hand, accepts a large cheque from an admiring adult three times her age, then turns to beam at the onlookers.
Smith, 15, has just received $15 000 from Pals Who Program, a non-profit aimed at uplifting non-men in STEM. Smith plans to put the scholarship, designated to further her education in computer science or a related field, towards her Boston Robotics dreams.
She's well on her way to making those dreams a reality. Smith wowed her teachers and peers earlier this year by founding both the school's Mathletes, and the Robotics Club. She has been pre-emptively offered a paid position mentoring students and running those clubs when she graduates in three years' time.
"We'd be lost without Chelsea," says math teacher Adrienne South. "She taught my class while I was in the hospital last week. Even cleaned up my lesson plans for the rest of the month while she was at it. There's no one more deserving of the money."
The community agrees. After she is presented with her scholarship, Smith spends the afternoon listening to the testimonies of people and robots alike who have found their lives touched by her skill. With students like Chelsea Smith coding the way, the future looks bright for non-men in STEM.
If you missed the chance to celebrate Smith in person, Doolittle High School is accepting written congratulations on her behalf until the end of the month. Notes can be mailed or emailed to any Doolittle school address, and the recipient will share them with Smith personally.