For eighth-grade Honors Math student Allison Ames—a 4.0 GPA student who’s part of her school’s Science Olympiad team and is a robotics powerhouse outside of school—there’s no limit to how far she’ll go to help her peers and community through her standout STEM skills. The huge-hearted young scholar from St. George was honored for going the distance on Feb. 2, 2019, at Vivint Smart Home Arena when she received the CenturyLink STEM Excellence Award on-court at half-time during the Utah Jazz’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Last year, Allison joined an extra-curricular 4-H FIRST Robotics team, working as a team player from the start in helping to create a water-conservation solution for Utah’s drought-prone climate. Her team earned special recognition for their project at the state competition, in large part due to Allison’s idea to help the team come up with an app for designing home irrigation systems from start to finish.
This year, Allison helped build her team’s robot, programming it to complete several missions in the robot games. She’s committed to helping her team be the best they can be and she enjoys the hands-on, real-world learning that she is engaged in.
“Allison is a seasoned leader on her robotics team and helps all team members work together and have fun,” said nominator Brandon Yost, Principal of Diamond Valley Elementary School. “She prepares team-building activities each time they get together, and is always looking for ways to provide service to others.”
Allison recently completed the highest recognition possible for the young women’s program in her church and is also a talented pianist who performs for residents of St. George-area care centers, in addition to playing the piano at benefit concerts.
“I love science and have always dreamed of becoming a labor and delivery nurse,” Allison said. “I want to have a positive influence in the world and I know I can by helping new babies come into the world. This award further motivates me to keep studying and working hard so I can achieve my dreams.”
Congratulations, Allison—and best of luck in realizing those dreams!
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