TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A 14-year-old from Terre Haute, Indiana has won first place in the Mathematics Award Category, as a part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Challenge.
Leif Speer won the nation’s leading middle school STEM competition, hosted by the nonprofit organization, Society for Science. Speer won a $3,500 scholarship to STEM summer camp.
Speer is a young environmental activist and a member of an environmental group at his school named The EARTHlings. Together, the group has presented a climate change resolution to their local city council. This resolution passed and Speer is now a part of the sustainability commission for the city of Terre Haute. In this role Speer helps make decisions about electric vehicle chargers and invasive species.
“I think that the climate crisis is the biggest issue of our time, and I want to do all that I can in the fight against it,” said Speer.
The competitions judges found that Speer demonstrated promise in the mathematics category. Speer was chosen from 30 finalist from a pool of nearly 2,00 students. The winners were then chosen by a distinguished panel of scientists, engineers, and educators.
