Nira Goyal from Martin County High School is the first student from MCHS to earn 1st place at SSEF, a huge accomplishment!
Nira will move on to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair, representing Martin County, in Dallas, Texas in May (ISEF).
Florida State Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) Awards 2023
Project: Quantification of Macrophomina phaseolina survival after organic soil treatments under multiple temperature regimes.
- 1st Place in Senior Division Plant Science Category
- University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, one-week youth camp winner from 2023 Florida SSEF (FYI Institute Summer Program)
- Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Tech Scholarship worth $86,000
- M.A.D. (Making A Difference) Scientist of the Year Award March 30, 2023, Stiles-Nicholson Foundation, School districts of Palm Beach and Martin County, and the Cox Science Center
Martin County Regional and District Science Fair Awards 2023
Martin County Regional Science and Engineering Fair January 28, 2023-
Project Title: Quantification of Macrophomina phaseolina Survival After Organic Soil Treatments Under Multiple Temperature Regimes
- The Yale Science and Engineering Association Award for Most Outstanding Exhibit in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- The Society for In Vitro Biology Award for Outstanding Achievement for Ability and Creativity in In Vitro Biology.
- First Place in the Plant Science category
- Selected to represent Martin County at Florida State Science and Engineering Fair in April 2023. Selected to represent Martin County 6 years in a row.
More on Nira's accomplishments:
Founder, Teen Mental Reset Inc. - a Mental Health non-profit (10th -present)
- Nira also has a Non for profit, Teen Mental Reset Inc which she is active in working to help teens in our community and has partnered with many local organizations.
- Goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma around mental and emotional health
- Collaborating with community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and Treasure Coast YMCA to help promote events, seminars, and information
- Asked to conduct two workshops at the Florida YMCA Changemakers Summit in November 2022 on teen mental health issues based on Teen Mental Reset. Also asked to participate as a panelist in a discussion for the Generation Z age group on how to impact the community with activities such as Teen Mental Reset.
- Conducted a Panel discussion at the Blake Library in Stuart on November 29th, 2022, on teen mental health.
- Chair of the first ever NAMI teen advisory council for mental health and working with NAMI to develop programs and projects that can be used to start the conversation on mental health with teenagers, educators, parents, and more.
- Participating in the NAMI Florida Youth & Adolescents Committee.
- Working with the Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network on the P.L.E.A.S.E. Council (Peer, Leadership, Empathy, Advocacy, Support for Everyone). Moderator at the May 6, 2023, Mental Health Month Celebration panel for youth. Teen Advisor on the Jed Foundation Metaverse Youth Stakeholder Advisory Group April 25, 2023. Partnering with Tykes & Teens Prioritizing Children’s Mental Health Teen Panel Discussion May 20, 2023, for Mental Health Awareness Month.
Girls State
Selected by the American Legion Auxiliary Florida Girls State as a delegate for 2023
- Youth in Government, YMCA program (9th - present)
- Participate in the model government process in Tallahassee to create, debate, and implement legislation or debate court cases
- Served as Judicial coordinator for Treasure Coast delegation 2021 & Supporting Officer for Executive as surgeon general for State Assembly 2021, named Outstanding Department Head at state assembly 2021
- President of Martin County High School Chapter 2021-2022
- Supporting Officer for Executive Branch as Secretary to the Department of Corrections for state general assembly 2022
- Elected for the State of Florida as a Presiding officer, specifically Chief Financial Officer for 2022-2023
- Selected two years in a row for the National Convention Conference on National Affairs (CONA)
- Elected to run for state governor from the Treasure Coast delegation primary election for the upcoming 2023-24 school year.
- Selected as a Presiding Officer as the Chief of Staff for the Florida State YMCA Youth In Government 67th Assembly for the 2023-2024 School Year, second year as a Presiding Officer.
- YMCA Annual Martin County Constitution Debate – Selected for the 10th and 11th-grade competition
Volunteer Experience - Total 479 hours
Research Participant with Dr. Namik Kirlic at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (10th -present)
- Poster presented by one of the co-authors at Native Children’s Research Exchange conference September 14-16 Denver Colorado 2022; A brief research chronology: Adolescent mental health, repetitive negative thinking, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations