Ekaterina Forkin, 15, of Oakton, (front row, third from right), joins 23 members of the National Society of High School Scholars for Nobel Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo contributed
Ekaterina Forkin, a sophomore at Oakton High School, spent several days in Stockholm Sweden learning about how Nobel laureates are selected.
“I’ve always been interested in how they selected laureates,” said Forkin, “And their expansive research and why it benefits society and why it should be recognized and rewarded.”
Nobel Week was organized by the National Society of High School Scholars, NSHSS. Forkin applied to participate in September, writing an essay on why she wanted to go.
At 15, she was the youngest of 24 NSHSS members, from countries such as Sweden and India, to attend on Dec. 7 to 10.
Forkin learned that to win a Nobel Prize in science, research and discovery have to be groundbreaking, something that “no one has really discovered and researched before.” Undaunted by the quality of research and accomplishment necessary to win, Forkin said the experience only strengthened and motivated her to pursue science and STEM.
Ellen Hussain, Forkin’s math teacher said in an email, “Ekaterina is ambitious, diligent and naturally inquisitive. The types of questions she asks are indicative of her true interest in learning for its intellectual sake.”
Aside from meeting the Nobel committee for chemistry and physics, who explained the criteria for choosing laureates, Forkin also attended college lectures at Stockholm University and experienced what it would be like to attend class in an exchange or study abroad program, something she wants to do when she goes to college.
She also got to do some sightseeing, going to the Skansen Christmas Market, Old Town Stockholm, city hall and several museums.
Nobel Week in Stockholm is a time in which the Nobel Prize Ceremonies and numerous other festivities occur. At a special reception, NSHSS scholars discussed the intricacies of the Prizes with the president of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and members of the selection committees for the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry and Literature.
To learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars and Nobel Week, visit http://www.nshss.org/.