Staples senior Jason Gandelman — who earlier this year was a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search, in addition to taking 3rd place at a Harvard national debate team, co-captaining the engineering team, and serving as co-chairman of the Youth Commission — has added another honor to his impressive resume.
Jason placed 3rd at last week’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair’s 2010 Grand Awards ceremony in San Jose, California. He was honored in the Biochemistry Division for his work: “Bioinformatics and Synthetic Approaches to Studying Advanced Glycation End-Products in Eukaryotes.”
“06880” has no idea what that means. But Jason has spent the past 3 years studying it, through Staples’ innovative Authentic Science Research program.
We do understand that he worked spectacularly hard, and was stunningly successful, at something important, and something he loves.
And for that, our hat is humbly off to him.
Jason Gandelman, with a small display of his large work.
It is young men like Jason and his like that it would of been worth the extra budget money to make sure all aspects of education don’t suffer. If one student can better the nation, world, or just our kittle Burg than let’s find the way to do it.
Congrats to Jason. But please, please, after you finish at Harvard or MIT, don’t go work on Wall Street!
I agree to that 100%… got to be a much better and higher calling for such a great brain
what are you guys talking about? Jason’s already pitching ideas for “Gandelman Sachs”
Not to bring back a previous over-argued thread….but to those who doubted Staples…this is a perfect example of just what Staples and its students can do.
Congrats to Jason!
Yes, you are very special. 93% white kids who wear flip flops and cutoffs to school and don’t work. The real world. Jason is the exception, not the rule. you remind of the kid at the football games that hasn’t played a down yelling at the fans to applaud.
Nope you’re wrong Igor…never played football. I’m not asking anyone to praise Staples to the high heavens. Instead I’m asking ignorant and pessimistic people like you to recognize that Staples produces amazing students in all aspects of life.
I fully recognize that there is a serious education problem in the U.S., but Staples is one public school that is truly aiding students in achieving great things.
Did I have some bad teachers? Sure. Did I think there were problems with how Staples was run? Yeah, a few. Are there Staples students that don’t try? Obviously…there are those at Harvard. However, as a recent graduate, I could list off countless great things that Staples students have done…maybe not as impressive as Jason’s.
If you could explain your dissatisfaction/relation with Staples and give some evidence to back your claims up, I’m all for listening.
I admire your openness. I have three recent 2009 Staples’ graduates on my block that will not be returning to their colleges becasuse of failed experiences. To me, Staples is an excellent school that sends many of its graduates on to college. But it focuses too much on such rates and I believe, rationalizes their high budget on such expectations (which their taxpayers definitely desire). The problem with this scenario is that it places too many high expectations on the students, many of whom can not meet such demands. Further, the lower echelon of the graduating class is often times ignored and sort of wades through this the cattle stampede. I had an enjoyable experience at Staples with honors classes and playing two sports but it certainly did not prepare me for college. I take that blame but I don’t like to see it happen to many others. College isn’t for everyone and Staples should recognize that. I am not sure they do. As far as the way the kids dress, don’t work and maintain this “nose up” snobbery, forget it man! That is a vaccum, not a real world education or experience.
Interesting this week started the internship program at Staples…. Many students are spending time at area businesses getting real world experience or at least a taste of what it will be like…. Igor and anonymous have this vision that the kids of Westport don’t work hard, or work at all… This might be true but it’s true everywhere…. You are blaming kids for their parents failures as parents or parenting… Don’t cast such aspersions on all… Many many many do work, work hard, and preform at the top of many activites… Jason and many like him are doing good things that shine the light on all of Staples be proud or just be silent if you can’t see the positive.
This is the second time Lawrencestein that you have told persons to be quiet. That ain’t what this country is all about. Kids worked where my kids went to school in Texas. Part-time jobs but they worked. I don’t see none of them working around here. You all want all the show and not the hard work. Smart kid this Jason.
Gunney it is Richard Lawrence Stein, and the fact of the matter is we are here to praise Jason and others like him…. I believe the adage is if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all holds true here… That is all… I’m not saying not to speak but if you are just gonna be negative why bother…
Cuz the comments here may be sort of knocking but don’t reflect on this kid. It somehow went to Staples which ain’t perfect. This kid Jason could do well at some ghetto school. You are trying to control the talk here and I don’t liek that. I dint freeze my butt off in Bosnia or sweat it off in Dessert Storm for anybody to tell anybody what they can say or how to say it. Get my drift?
Gunney not controling anything… It is a reflection of this kid and his parents and of Staples…. If he went to a ghetto school as you refer he would do extremely well because of himself and hopefully because of his parents, but odds are he would not excel to the level he is at without that little thing called inspired educators that we will refer to as teachers. So please freeze your nads off in fox holes and protect our nation as so many bravely do…. But remember it takes a village not just a parent or an individual to help shape our youth…. Still Jason is a greatly gifted young man who deserves all the acolades and maybe a teacher or even a school might get some props too
Excellent point by Richard. I think some of the negative discussion comes from the belief that there may be too much bravado connected with the school system. I believe it was the late Mr. Newman that said “it is a privledge to live in Westport.” I think perhaps such pounding on one’s chest about how “special” it is here sometimes outshines the gratitude we owe the town. I note that the blog entry on Herb Baldwin gained little attention while any attack on Staples or the school system brings dozens of responses. I find that suspect.
I agree that Staples should focus more on its lower end students getting associate’s degrees or get training via vocational school.
However, that’s besides the point. The point is that Jason has done amazing things and there are so many other students at Staples just like him (in different areas) and Staples is a great school.
The realiity of the situation is that the public education system has been selling their “wares” to their contituents for years. If you live in Naples, Florida or Sugarland, Texas or San Clemente, California or Farmington, Minnesota ,you will hear from the school folks how wonderful the school system is.
Westport is not unique in that way except for its high percentage of students going forward to college. The taxpayer and parents love to hear this rhetoric and gobble it up like plump Thanksgiving turkeys. The end result is that huge amounts have been thrown at public education with few results overall and few innovations as to the school year, teacher salaries or focus on non- college prep students.
As a matter of fact, 60% of high school graduates to not go on to college and their skills have decreased with a rising drop out rate. In my belief, Staples is no different except that they have a gene pool of overachievers as their students with highly motivated parents. While I agree that Jason should be the focus here, you, Staples Kid, brought up the issue of the budget and the remarkable Jason being an example of money well spent.
Bill Gates walked into his 8th grade Science class and found a computer. Such chances were 1 in a million in the United States in the 1980’s. After he had dropped out of Harvard, he returned to the state of Washington and lived two blocks from the Universityof Washington that just happened to have free computer time on their main frames from 2-6 a.m. in the morning. Gates was lucky and took advantage of his good fortune. I wish Jason Gandelman the same good life. But I do agree with Jaba above in that it is the student not the school. Jason. 18 years old?
Remarkable.
oh my god i loveeeee jason gandelman.
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