The National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp) has proudly welcomed this year’s class of delegates from nearly 50 states, overseas military postings, and eight Western Hemisphere nations to the Mountain State.
Continuing its legacy of more than 60 years in youth leadership and education, the three-week flagship program of the National Youth Science Academy (NYSAcademy) is a prestigious, fully-funded residential experience that honors and challenges rising young leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).
The camp kicked off with activities in Washington, D.C., including an international diplomacy simulation hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). During their time in West Virginia, delegates stay at Camp Horseshoe in Tucker County and participate in advanced lectures and hands-on sessions taught by prominent STEAM professionals. In addition, participants have the opportunity to explore West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest through outdoor adventures, including backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, and caving.
The program’s impact is profound, with more than 50% of alumni earning a doctorate, and over 85% pursuing careers in STEAM fields, underscoring NYSCamp’s role in shaping the next generation of leaders.
“Each year, I’m amazed and impressed with the delegates, their passion for STEAM, and their dreams for the future,” said Kiona Y. Meade, NYSCamp Director. “Camp invites delegates to the beautiful mountains of West Virginia, while encouraging them to share unforgettable experiences, learn from leading experts, and make lifelong friends.”
This year’s delegation includes:
Aarav Bansal, Texas
AraOluwa Adetunji, Rhode Island
Elise Rebecca Alleman, Arizona
Anika Arora, West Virginia
Siddharth Avasthi, Mississippi
Aiden Bae, New Jersey
Madhava Bhadriraju, Kansas
Richard “Wells” Burkhardt, Vermont
Kahiau Katsuki Cabral, Hawaii
Jonah Cahn, Pennsylvania
Ryan Chase Casey, New Hampshire
Madeline Chapman, West Virginia
Sophia Chen, Tennessee
Charles Alexander Crouch, Oklahoma
Banu Damirchiyeva, Maine
Maggie Deng, Maryland
Alexander Jiakai Du, Pennsylvania
Paul Lazarus Dynes, Utah
Sarah Margaret Ebel, Kentucky
Lillian Edwards, Missouri
Sadie Eldred, Michigan
Reanna Farsin, Virginia
Lewen Feng, Michigan
Valerie Fu, Indiana
Prishu Gaire, Delaware
Atharv Gandhi, New York
Stephanie Ann Gearing, Texas
Haider Al Ghuraibawi, New Mexico
Sana Goyal, Illinois
Jaesa Guel, Nevada
Ava Hauck, North Dakota
Darby Hawkins, Kansas
Jenna Henry, Oregon
Diego de Silva Hernandez, Mexico
Danisbeth Paola Campos Herrera, Panama
Regina Ho, Nebraska
Surie Jia, Colorado
Richard Jiang, Vermont
Anita Joseph, Illinois
Anderson James Kalbfell, Missouri
Vishnupriyan Karthikeyan, Alabama
Samarth Khandelwal, Ohio
Michaela Minjoo Kim, Delaware
Maria Juliana Kingry, Alaska
Pierce Lang, Oklahoma
Sofia Catalina Leal, Argentina
Aidan Jon Lehner, AP
Luke Allan Lehner, AP
Benjamin Lewis, New Mexico
Qianyi Li, Minnesota
Victoria Rosemary Li, North Carolina
Jessica Liao, Arkansas
Olivia Yuan Liu, New Hampshire
Kevin Ma, Idaho
Smaran Malakapalli, Washington
Khavir Manbode, Trinidad and Tobago
Anvi Mathur, Wisconsin
Jaxon Wade Edward Milam, West Virginia
Eva Murray, Montana
Saisha Pal, California
Ishan Pande, Indiana
James Peng, Iowa
Denver Priest, Wyoming
Ryan Qi, Virginia
Mahika Radhakrishnan, Idaho
Nirjhor Rahman, Arkansas
Guillermo Carrasco Reyes, Mexico
Rafael Francisco Estrada Rodriguez, Chile
Lars Thomas Sandven, Washington
Narayani Shankar, Utah
Sam Sharma, Colorado
Sandara Sihavong, Minnesota
Philip Spradlin, Rhode Island
Evie Steidl, Tennessee
Eduarda Zago Teixeira, Brazil
Asahi Tokuda, Wisconsin
Juan Mesac Ramírez Varela, Costa Rica
Prakya Velagapudi, Alabama
Sylvia Wargelin, Kentucky
Maliaayu Komang Piiakea Williams, Hawaii
Imri K. Wolf, New York
Brad Tianzhou Wu, Arizona
Irene Huijia Xu, North Carolina
Zhixuan Annie Xu, South Carolina
Michael Yang, Maryland
Yidong Ye, South Carolina
Elena Zhang, California