INDIANAPOLIS—Governor Eric Holcomb today announced the four winners of the 2020 Governor’s STEM Team awards. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship, courtesy of the College Choice 529 Program administered by Treasurer of State Kelly Mitchell.
“Indiana is home to incredibly gifted and talented students. It gives me great pride to honor this year’s STEM Team for all their hard work. Each of these seniors have a promising future ahead of them. They represent some of Indiana’s finest and I look forward to seeing the amazing things they accomplish in the years ahead.” said Gov. Holcomb.
In lieu of an in person awards presentation, the students enjoyed a video call with Gov. Holcomb.
Science: Iris Yan, Carmel High School, Carmel
Iris is a senior at Carmel High School in Carmel. Iris earned perfect scores on the SAT Chemistry, SAT Physics, SAT Math, and SAT II Math exams. Iris also earned perfect scores on the ACT Science and Math exams. She completed ten AP exams, earning a score of 5 on each one. Recognized nationally for her prowess, she was chosen to attend the MIT Research Science Institute in 2019 and was a two-time honoree in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad Exam in 2018 and 2019, one of the top 20 student chemists in the nation. She plans to attend Harvard in the fall.
Technology: David Simonetti, Penn High School, Mishawaka
David is a senior at Penn High School in Mishawaka. David earned a perfect score on the SAT Math exam. He completed six AP exams and earned a score of 5 on every one. He led his team to a state championship in the Indiana Math Academic Superbowl, is a state champion and nationally ranked in Trig Star, a timed math contest, and was a standout at First Robotics Competition, a worldwide STEM program. During his junior year, David worked on a team in the Mission to Engineer program to design a robotic “Hulk Smash” Halloween costume for a young boy who is wheelchair bound. The intricate circuitry work was recognized in a feature on CBS National News. David plans to attend the University of Notre Dame to study computer science.
Engineering: Ankush Dhawan, Signature School, Evansville
Ankush Dhawan is a senior at the Signature School in Evansville. Ankush has already earned several college credits via dual credit courses, getting a jump start on his college career. He earned a perfect score on the SAT II Math exam and nearly perfect scores on the SAT Math and ACT Math exams as well as ACT English and ACT Reading exams. Ankush was a finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, a top finisher in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the Indiana winner and overall 2nd place winner in the Stockholm Junior Water Prize U.S. National Competition, and the 2017 silver medallion winner at the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project Olympiad. His long-range goal is to continue working towards sustainability through research in water contamination and a major in environmental engineering.
Math: Vivek Hebbar, Columbus North High School, Columbus
Vivek Hebbar is a senior at Columbus North High School in Columbus. Vivek earned perfect scores on the SAT Math, SAT II Math, SAT II Physics, SAT II Chemistry, ACT Science, and ACT Math exams. He completed eight AP courses with scores of 5 on all of the corresponding exams. Vivek was a national finalist and scholarship winner in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge, a qualifier to the American Invitational Math Examination for 5 consecutive years, and has successfully completed an upper level college course in Artificial Intelligence, among other college credits earned. He plans to study math or physics.