2017 Student Leadership Award – Shiaoching Tse
Apr 30

2017 Student Leadership Award – Shiaoching Tse

Shiaoching Tse Selected for the Student Leadership Award in STEM Education

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Shiaoching Tse, a student at the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, N.C. has received the 2017 Student Leadership Award from the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (SMT) Center.   Ms. Tse was recognized on April 29 in Raleigh, N.C. at the annual SMT Celebration.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions by a student leader in advancing STEM education in North Carolina.

As a freshman at Enloe High School, Ms. Tse started a club called The Food Ark (TFA) as a response to the food insecurity she saw at her school. More than one-third of her peers were eligible for free-or-reduced lunch, and yet others were wasting their meals in the same cafeteria. This lack of sustainability, respect for human health, and overall food insecurity concerned her, so she created the club to empower her peers to address this issue. TFA has evolved into a 501c3 nonprofit that fights food insecurity by chartering clubs at schools, and by working with the community on partnerships and projects. Today, TFA involves more than 400 active student members across 6 chartered clubs, where each club has 3 branches that tackle food insecurity in different ways: Garden, Food Pantry, and Outreach.

“Shiaoching Tse is a role model for what students can achieve when they see a problem that they can address,” said Dr. Sam Houston, president and CEO of the SMT Center. “STEM education encourages critical thinking skills to tackle critical problems.”

The N.C. Science, Mathematics, and Technology (SMT) Center is focused on improving education as a means of providing all students in North Carolina with the knowledge and skills to have successful careers, be good citizens, and advance the economy of the state. Promoting innovation and change in education, the SMT Center celebrates educational excellence in North Carolina by supporting educators, engaging students, and advancing the growing importance of having a STEM-educated workforce.

Contact: Lisa Rhoades at 919/991-5111 or lrhoades@bwfund.org