On February 21st, Blayne Cherry and his grandparents, Mr. And Mrs. Ben Eubanks and BHS teacher Shayee Johnson traveled to Orlando, where Blayne received the Sunshine State Scholars Award.
Each district in Florida selects their top 11th grade scholar based on established academic criteria. These scholars, along with their parents and a teacher selected by each scholar, convene in Orlando for a 2-day program where they receive recognition for their achievements and meet STEM industry leaders to learn about the latest innovations, discoveries and careers available in Florida.
Blayne was able to meet with people like the President of AT&T and the Secretary of the Florida Lottery. AT&T presented each scholar an i-pad mini and $100 credit to activate the i-pad. This is AT&T’s way of helping to provide the students with the tools to succeed. Blayne was also able to enjoy a day at Universal with his family.
During this conference, Blayne became familiar with Biomedical Engineering, a program at the University of Florida that focuses on Stem cell research. He is now considering a career in this field. He is particularly interested in the development of synthetic tissues.
The Sunshine State Scholars Program is a collaboration between the Florida Education Foundation, the State University System of Florida, the Florida College System, and the Florida Department of Education.
It is quite an honor to be selected for the award and we wish Blayne the best of luck as he works toward his career goals.
