Celebrating the Holidays by Celebrating Our Own

December 23, 2005

By Michelle Tompkins, staff writer

	Neela, 14, a Girl Scout from San Antonio, Texas, has been named America's Top Young Scientist of the Year.

As the year draws to a close, it seems a perfect time to recognize two young women who have achieved great things and represent everything that Girl Scouts can accomplish. Girl Scout alum Noorain Khan, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was selected to be a 2006 Rhodes Scholar, and 14-year-old Neela, a Texan from San Antonio, has been named America's Top Young Scientist of the Year by the Discovery Channel, an honor that carries a $20,000 scholarship. Both young women demonstrate a commitment to excellence that paves the way for future generations of Girl Scouts to follow their lead.

From Gold to Rhodes Scholar

Noorain, 21, learned that she was one of the 32 Americans chosen from 903 applicants to study next October at Oxford University in England immediately following her interview on November 19. She was selected on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential, physical vigor, and other outstanding attributes.

"Not only was I thrilled, but I just felt so thankful," Noorain said.

Involved with Girl Scouts since age 7, Noorain was recognized as one of the 2002 Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction for her role in organizing Muslim community membership and education for the Girl Scouts of Michigan Trails and beyond. She received her Gold Award for a project that involved writing a $50,000 grant to fund youth programming for her local mosque. "I really believe in Girl Scouting because of what it stands for. Girl Scouts has a commitment to diversity and gives to young women and girls to empower themselves for their futures. The organization has adapted well to the changing needs of women in our society and this is reflected in their unique and relevant programming."

Noorain is a student at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she carries a triple major of political science, women and gender studies, and religious studies.

Opening Doors to Community Service

Noorain views the Rhodes Scholarship as a chance to open doors and get further involved with community service. At Oxford she plans to pursue a master's of philosophy or a doctorate of philosophy in migration studies, to prepare for her goal of working to mobilize marginalized communities. "I hope to work as an advocate for marginalized communities (not necessarily Muslim women) in the realm of public service," she says.

She urges girls to take risks and believe in themselves — and to live out their passions. "I truly believe people should give themselves the chance to try for the things that they really want," Noorain says.

America’s Top Young Scientist: A Girl Scout from San Antonio

Neela, a Girl Scout in Troop No. 159, is a very busy high school freshman. In addition to her studies and Girl Scouting, she plays guard on her basketball team, studies classical Indian music and dance, and participates in science fairs. She won the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challange, where she was just named America’s Top Young Scientist of the year, after a demanding three-day competition with 40 other top middle school students on November 2, 2005, at the University of Maryland.

Neela won the top prize for her science fair project on cloning potatoes titled "Effects of Various Nutrient Concentrations on the Cloning of the Eye of Solanum Tuberosum at Multiple Stages." Her project showed how different nutrient concentrations affect the multiple stages of growth in a potato.

The experiment began by removing 60 shoot tips from growing potatoes. After sterilizing them, Neela excised the bottom two segments and placed each in a test tube of half-strength or full-strength nutrient solution before incubating them. Her first attempt failed because all her samples were contaminated. Not willing to give up, she tried again and discovered that the potato clones did indeed grow better in the full-strength solution.

"Neela set a goal and not only achieved it, she exceeded it. She will tell you, though, that it took more than one try to achieve her goal of being named into the group of 'Top 400 Scientists,' " said troop leader Risa Weisberger.

In addition to being recognized for her achievements by the San Antonio City Council, Neela was interviewed on local television and radio, and the "Today' show.

Living Her Passion

The daughter of physicians, Neela discovered her passion for science in the sixth grade. Her school encourages scientific experiment and has between 20 and 40 experiments going on each year. After she graduates from high school, she plans to enroll in a six-year medical program at a nearby college, where she plans to become a professor of medicine. In the meantime, she is busy preparing experiments for future science fairs and enjoying time with family and friends. "I like hanging out with friends and working on community service projects," she says.

An active member of the Girl Scouts for five years, Neela has participated in many community service projects, gone camping, conducted demonstrations on Indian culture, worked on craft fairs, organized many round table discussions and, of course, earned plenty of badges. She also served as Troop No. 159's first president after the troop changed its meeting format to a parliamentary system.

"She did a great job setting up agendas for the meetings and keeping the girls on track. Her favorite part was deciding when to call for snack time," said Weinberger.

Neela continues to be a leader to all through her commitment and dedication to excellence. "At a time when Girls Scouts is striving to teach girls the importance of setting goals, our troop is very lucky to have an active member who truly understands this concept. She is a role model for her sister Girl Scouts, as well as all youth in the San Antonio area," Weinberger said.

Time for Thanks

People around the world regard the holiday season as a time to give thanks. We share that sentiment at Girl Scouts of the USA and want to give thanks to all our members for the many things they do each and every day to make this the preeminent organization for girls.