Student Science Achievement honored at White House Science Fair

Pictured Above: Christopher Hillenbrand '15, top right, listens to President Obama's address at the White House Science Fair.

On Monday afternoon, students and staff gathered in the Regis cafeteria to watch a live web stream of President Barack Obama's address at the 2013 White House Science Fair. Among those watching were the advisement group classmates of Christopher Hillenbrand '15, who was one of only 22 students given the opportunity to sit on stage as the President addressed the audience.

The event in the White House East Room celebrated the academic achievements and innovative ideas of science students from across the nation. Hillenbrand, a sophomore at Regis, earned a gold medal last summer at the 44th Annual International Chemistry Olympiad. Hillenbrand was the youngest member of the U.S. Team, and the only U.S. student at the international competition to bring home a coveted gold medal.

While recognizing the talents of the students in attendance, President Obama noted that behind each student is "a community of people who helped all these young people succeed, [and] dedicated teachers who believed in them and challenged them to do even more." The President used the celebration as an opportunity to announce a number of ambitious new steps to advance his Educate to Innovate campaign, a campaign geared toward getting more students inspired about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.

DNAinfo.com, New York's "leading hyper-local news source", published a news story on Hillenbrand, his love of Chemistry, and his trip to the White House. A link to the article, titled "Regis High School Chemistry Whiz Attends White House Science Fair" is available here.

To watch President Obama’s remarks at the 2013 White House Science Fair, click here.

A recap of the event, along with a reference to Chris, was published in the New York Post and is available here.

Christopher Hillenbrand '15, sporting a Regis tie, shakes the hand of President Obama at the White House Science Fair.

Gold medals earned by Christopher Hillenbrand '15 last summer at the 44th Annual International Chemistry Olympiad.