Katelyn Blaine, a sophomore at Carlin Combined School, has been selected to attend the Joint Science and Technology Institute (JSTI) East, held from July 13-26. Blaine is one of 44 students chosen for this two-week residential program in Maryland, designed to expose high school students and teachers to scientific research through hands-on projects.
The JSTI East program offers participants the chance to work with Department of Defense (DoD) scientists and STEM experts, inspiring and raising awareness of career opportunities in STEM-related fields. Blaine first learned about JSTI during middle school and through her brother, Landon Maffo, who attended the program last year.
Blaine applied to JSTI for middle school students in seventh grade and was accepted. However, due to the pandemic, she participated online. This year, she prioritized attending the session for incoming juniors.
“I think it will be a good learning experience, and meeting people with similar interests as me, who have the will to learn,” Blaine said about her expectations for the program.
Blaine’s interest in medical forensics began at the JSTI middle school program. While her brother Landon discovered a passion for flight dynamics at JSTI-East, Blaine remains focused on biology. Next year, she plans to apply for JSTI-West, which emphasizes medical and forensic sciences. If accepted, she will have attended all three JSTI institutes.
“Right now, I would like to attend the University of Colorado and study pre-med and see what interests me the most. For the longest time, I was interested in forensics because I wanted to be an investigator, but I have more of an interest in nursing now,” Blaine shared.
Blaine maintains a 4.0 GPA and is active in various school activities, including cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, managing the boys' baseball team, SkillsUSA, wilderness club, and student council.
Her biology teacher, Melissa Jones, praised her dedication: “Kate is a really strong student. All her assignments are turned in on time, she takes time to correct her work and deepens her learning in biology. She was an easy student to recommend to the institute.”
Blaine is one of eight students who have represented Carlin at JSTI. Recent attendees representing Elko County School District include her brother, Landon Maffo, and Spring Creek Middle School student Isabelle Hansen.
JSTI is part of the STEM Academies for Students offered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), a U.S. Department of Energy asset dedicated to enabling critical scientific, research, and health initiatives of the department and its laboratory system.