Wake students 2nd in competition

Three Enloe High students win a scholarship in a top science competition

The expectations for three Wake County students rose Monday morning as one competitor after another was knocked out of the running for the grand prize in one of the nation's top high school science competitions.

The bubble burst when their names were announced one position early, earning them a second-place finish in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. They'll settle for sharing a $50,000 scholarship and recognition as some of the smartest high school students in the country.

"I got really nervous at the end," Vivek Bhattacharya, 16, of Cary said of the time he and his teammates heard the names of the third- through sixth-place teams being announced. "But we did as well as we could. Hats off to the other teams."

Organizers say Vivek and his teammates, Hao Lian and Daniel Vitek, have nothing to be disappointed about for their impressive finish. All three students attend Enloe High School in Raleigh.

Mentored by N.C. State University professors Donald Bitzer and Anne-Marie Stomp, the students developed a computer model that helps scientists determine which gene sequences to use to produce specific proteins. The research could provide a cost-effective method of commercially producing useful proteins such as insulin.

Their work won the top spot and a $6,000 scholarship in a regional competition last month in Atlanta. It led to them heading to New York City with five other teams and six individual entrants for the finals.

They faced tough competition. The top team from New York won a $100,000 scholarship for a drug discovery project that could lead to the first new tuberculosis treatment in 35 years.

"There were a lot of really good projects," Daniel, 16, said. "But we were also disappointed. We felt that our project was good."

Team members plan to continue research, including publishing a research paper before the end of the school year.

They'll also try to end the year strong at Enloe, an academically rigorous magnet school which draws many of the top high school students in Wake County.

Vivek is ranked first in the senior class and is on track become valedictorian. Hao, 17, from North Raleigh, is right behind him at second academically.

Daniel, a junior from North Raleigh, wants to be back in the Siemens Competition next year.

"It feels very sad that we'll have to go back now," Vivek said.