Valley Stream Central High School District is proud to announce that Mariyam Qureshi, a senior at South High School, has been selected as a Semifinalist in the Intel Science and Talent Search Competition. The national Intel program is a premier accomplishment that highlights the top students in science research today. Mariyam is one of approximately 300 high school semifinalists nationwide competing for a chance at the finals and a trip to Washington, DC.

Mariyam’s project, entitled “Dynamics Underlying Tissue Integrity,” created an alternate solution to kidney failure in the form of an artificial kidney. Over the last two years, she worked with mentor Amit Ron, a post-doc at a mechanical engineering lab at Columbia University, on the beginning stages of the artificial kidney.  “I knew I couldn’t actually create an artificial kidney myself, but I wanted to contribute to a project like this,” Mariyam said of the honor. She chose the subject matter based upon a history of kidney failure in her family.

Currently in the top of her class at South, Mariyam has also been named an AP Scholar with Distinction and received Senior Division Honors with a separate project at the Long Island Science Congress last year. Although undecided about where she plans to attend college in the fall, she has chosen to major in either biology or pre-med. South High School has had two other Intel Semifinalists over the last ten years, as well as two Intel International Science and Engineering Fair winners.

Congratulations to Mariyam on this honor and best of luck in advancing to Finalist standing. Finalists will be announced at the end of January.