STEM ALUMNI

Mihir Kandarpa

FCHS STEM Biotech Class of 2019

Anticipated graduation from Georgia Tech - May 2023

    Mihir Kandarpa is a 4th year undergraduate student at Georgia Tech majoring in Industrial &         Systems Engineering. While at FCHS, Mihir served on the Officer Teams of HOSA, FBLA, and Science Olympiad, and as Captain of the Boys Tennis Team. At GT, Mihir has been involved with a number of student organizations. He served in the Student Government Association for three years, as a member of the Dining Committee, Representative for the School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Parliamentarian on House Leadership, Chair of the Health and Well-being Committee, and Vice President of Well-being on Cabinet. He is currently completing his third term on the Public Health Student Association’s Executive Board as Vice President of Internal Affairs, having held the positions of Secretary and President. He is also the Vice President of Finance of SMILE, an organization dedicated to spreading positivity on campus, having served on the Faculty-Student Connections Committee and as the Director of Strategic Development. Mihir has also formed two organizations: the Society for Health Systems and PAUSE for sexual violence prevention. Additionally, Mihir has interned for two federal agencies: the US Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation and the CDC’s Office of Associate Director of Communications. And he currently serves as a student assistant for the Georgia Tech Department of Health Initiatives. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Mihir plans to pursue a Master’s in Public Health and intends to work in the field of global health.

Emma Stevenson

FCHS STEM Biotech Class of 2020

3rd year student at University of Alabama in Birmingham, with a major in  Biomedical Engineering and minor in Chemistry and International Studies

It wasn’t until after a couple of classes during my first semester of college that truly showed me the impact STEM had on me. After taking so many AP courses such as chemistry, calculus, and physics, as well as my biotechnology class, I was able to take credit for a majority of my general curriculum class which allowed me to have more space in my schedule for my pre-med classes. In addition, through STEM, I was able to learn many study tactics and be used to the idea of having to sit down and review the material on my own, weeks before the exam took place. Many of my fellow college classmates struggled with trying to get a study routine and had difficulties trying to balance their time. With the impact STEM had, my academic transition into college was almost seamless, so I was able to get involved in campus organizations and connect with my professors. My biotechnology classes and the capstone project helped me land a research position very quickly at the end of my freshman year.  After one semester of training, I was able to become a paid member in the lab due to how fast I was learning the techniques and being able to use skills that I learned in the lab during biotech class. I worked on a research project that dealt with two Meningioma cell lines and screened them for 13 drugs to see their cell viability. The drugs that were most efficient would be used in a future study on mice who would contract brain tumors and have the drugs injected in them to see how effective they were in reducing the size of the tumor. As a result of my experience in the lab, I got accepted into Kidney Undergraduate Research Experience (KURE) a very competitive summer research program.  All in all, I truly feel that STEM made me a better individual, not just for college, but for myself as a person.

Diya Patel

FCHS STEM Class of 2020, Biotechnology

I am a sophomore at Georgia State University majoring in finance and getting a minor in biological sciences. I am a Chem lab TA for principles of chemistry I and Survey of Chemistry II. Additionally, I am the secretary of Period Projects at GSU, a club that serves individuals experiencing homelessness in downtown Atlanta, primarily by collecting and distributing menstrual hygiene products.  In the next two years, I plan on applying to dental school. 

Isabella Condo

University of North Carolina

Recipient of the Parks Scholarship

(a $205,000.00 Scholarship, with grants to fund personal and professional enrichment studies)

Microbiology/Chemistry

Grant Butschek

Johns Hopkins University

Center for Tropical and Emerging Disease

University of Georgia, Graduated 

Liandrie Swanepoel

UGA: College of Veterinary Medicine

Publications

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Dirofilaria lutrae, 1965 in North American rivver otters (Lontra canadensis)

Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports October 28th 2018

Elizabeth Somsen

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Major: Genetics and Genomics

Undergraduate Research in the Dave O'Connor Lab

Recipient of a Sophomore Research Fellowship Grant

Click here to read the Biotechnology pathway helped her succeed as an undergraduate. 

Hannah Walker

Young Harris College

Environmental Science major

Biology & Chemistry double minor

Women’s Golf Team

My favorite class this year is Ichthyology (study of fishes). Our lab involves going to various rivers and snorkeling to identify fishes and their habitats as well as identifying fishes in jars for the TVA. We are working on a group project in which we will do data research to incorporate a fishes’ life characteristics, locational information, and other things to explain why certain fishes are endangered/ extinct. In addition, our class will be presenting at the Appalachian Teaching Project Conference in Washington DC in November. Through our lab, we will be collecting fish and site information to develop a snorkeling guide book to help bring attention to the diverse freshwater region of Appalachia.

Alexandra Miner

Aerospace Engineer at Area-1

Georgia Tech: Aerospace Engineer, Graduated.

Keegan Householder

University of Georgia 

Awarded The Tom Cochran Award for service

Taylor Strayhorn

University of North Georgia

Studies Conservation and Restoration

Intern at Georgia ForestWatch Inc.