Elizabeth Barna, a 12th-grade student at College Heights Secondary School, earned an honourable mention in an international essay writing contest.
American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) announced the winners of the 2024 DNA Day Essay Contest last week – Barna was one of 11 honourable mentions named.
According to the ASHG, that lands her in the top 1% of the 1,300 submissions from across 52 countries.
The contest coincides with National DNA Day – April 25 – which is when DNA’s double helix was discovered in 1953 and the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003.
This year saw the most applicants since the contest started in 2006.
“I am thrilled to see the tremendous engagement and participation from students and teachers across the United States and around the world,” said Joseph Shen, MD, PhD, Chair of ASHG’s Public Education & Awareness Committee.
“Over the years, the DNA Day Essay Contest has encouraged thousands of students to explore human genetics and genomics. Congratulations to the 2024 winners and honorable mentions, and a heartfelt thank you from PEAC to their teachers, the ASHG members who volunteered their time to review essays, and all who enthusiastically participated. Science knows no borders, and that is readily apparent from this year’s impressive participants.”
Barna, and the other 11 honourable mentions, will receive $100 each. First prize was $1,000.
You can read Barna’s submission here.