EPHS student wins $10,000 Science Olympiad Founders’ Scholarship

Eden Prairie High School senior Sani Deshmukh has been awarded a $10,000 Science Olympiad Founders’ Scholarship.

Deshmukh was one of five winners selected by the Science Olympiad USA Foundation, which announced the awards on Thursday.

The five winners were selected for outstanding attributes, including academic achievement, community engagement and commitment to Science Olympiad.

Deshmukh, who plans to study computer science and aerospace, will attend the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the fall.

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“My biggest takeaway from four years in SciOly was the importance of collaboration in science, and I have been working to spread this lesson in my community,” she said in the social media posts announcing her scholarship.

Jenny Kopach, CEO of Science Olympiad and president of the Science Olympiad USA Foundation, praised Deshmukh’s commitment to service.

“Sani is an outstanding student and scholar, but what might have impressed me most is her commitment to service,” said Kopach. “By organizing science camps and volunteering at the Science Museum of Minnesota, Sani demonstrates the power of giving back. I think she’s going to have an amazing STEM career beginning next year at Caltech.”

The other four recipients are Nosakhare Iyoha of Spring Early College Academy in Texas, Anu Iyer of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, Ken Husty Tungpalan of Waipahu High School in Hawaii, and Nina Kini of Valencia High School in California.

Since 2019, the Science Olympiad USA Foundation has distributed $240,000 in Founders’ Scholarships to students across the United States and millions more in tuition scholarships, prizes, and awards.