My initial inspiration to perform scientific research in the field of computer science came from my parents, whom I admire for their endless interest and successful efforts in their field of work. As a young child, I had visited their offices and saw some of their work. Although at the time I didn’t completely understand their jobs, I was amazed that the computer had the power to create such an impact on people’s lives.

Intel Science Talent Search project was a four year labor of love that tested my patience more than any undertaking that I had ever attempted in my life. Once, after a particularly frustrating day in the lab, I told my mentor how upset I was about spending the previous three hours wiring a cryogenic thermometer only to have it break as it was inserted into the liquid helium Dewar. ìSounds like youíre doing research,î he replied.

In the summer of 2002, my family and I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia to visit my grandparents. While there, my father told me about an intriguing theorem in geometry that he himself learned in 1972 from Dr. Zalman A. Skopets (1917-1984) who was married to my grandmother’s best friend. Dr. Skopets was a prominent geometer and headed the Department of Geometry at the Yaroslavl’ State Pedagogical University for many years.

In 2003, the Napster craze was in full swing and the Recording Industry Association of America was beginning prosecution of individual kids who downloaded music. It seemed that there was an article about it in the New York Times almost daily. The Internet was giving rise to changes in behavior that could not be anticipated. I felt we were living through a type of revolution, a sea change in behavior and lifestyle not seen since the Industrial Revolution.

As a Muslim-American female teenager, I have always found it difficult to balance the religious, traditional world with the modern, secular world. The extent of my conservatism on certain issues has been influenced by both these worlds. My desire to investigate my Muslim peers’ attitudes and reactions toward these differences gave me the idea for my research. However, it was my mother who gave me the strength and determination to actually go through with this experiment.

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disorder in which red blood cells become stiff and sickle-shaped. This condition is caused by defective hemoglobin that clusters together, forming long, rod-like structures. The abnormal red blood cells cannot freely move through small blood vessels and thus cause blockages that deprive organs and tissues of oxygen. A study published in 2003 established that the use of hydroxyurea therapy decreases mortality among sickle cell patients by forty percent and significantly reduces pain and acute chest crises.

I have been interested in mathematics since kindergarten. I always loved searching for and finding patterns in sequences of numbers. I used to read whatever information I could in order to learn more about the wonders of math. In fifth grade I was part of my school’s program for gifted math students. There the teacher introduced me to a wonderful sequence of numbers called the Fibonacci sequence, named after the 13th century mathematician Leonardo da Pisa Fibonacci.

As a student in the Medical Sciences Specialized Learning Center of Freehold High School in Freehold, New Jersey, I was given the opportunity to conduct independent research for the complete duration of my junior year. Having been given permission to complete any type of research, I wanted to challenge myself by working in a unique research field: I attempted to combine my knowledge and interest in the life sciences with computer science.

I sat as still as the humid air around me, on soft yellow sand lightly punctuated by pebbles and twigs. With my eyes, I followed an advancing motion that was shaking the lowest branch of one of the bushes that surrounded my little island of sand. Slowly and deliberately the motion progressed forward until, upon reaching the threshold where the protection of the leaves ended, it stopped. A minute or so later, an elaborately patterned green head emerged from the leaves and two intense black eyes focused on my surroundings and me.

Prior to my Intel research project, I had tried to get a research project with several local universities. However, all of my attempts collapsed for a variety of reasons. To be honest, I had given up on trying to find research opportunities when I received a letter of acceptance from the Research Science Institute (RSI). Sponsored by the Center for Excellence for Education (CEE), RSI accepts about 50 high school students every year, typically students who have finished their junior year.