Lenape High School senior Noah Hyun will be part of a program that engages the next generation of STEM leaders, high-school and college students, in the state’s innovation economy.
Lenape High School senior Noah Hyun was recently selected to join the prestigious Governor’s STEM Scholars (GSS) class of 2024-2025.
The program engages the next generation of STEM leaders, high-school and college students, in the state’s innovation economy. It provides the scholars with connections, mentors and relationships within the state’s research community and sets them on an academic and career path to become New Jersey’s future STEM professionals.
The STEM Scholars program emphasizes that maintaining a pipeline of talented individuals is critical to acquiring excellence in innovation. In recognition of that – and to counter the state’s brain drain – the program engages early the next generation of research and innovation leaders in the state’s vast STEM economy.
The 2024-’25 class is made up of 111 high-school and college students from all of New Jersey’s 21 counties. When they graduate in May, they will join an alumni network of nearly 1,000 STEM students and professionals.
Hyun currently has wide variety of interests. He swims competitively with the Jersey Wahoos and is captain of Lenape High School’s boys swim team. He also plays violin as first chair of the school’s orchestra and is a member of his church’s praise team. In his spare time, Hyun plays golf, works out and enjoys cooking and trying new food.
“I am very passionate about trying new things to expose myself to a wide variety of ideologies and cultures, whether that be academic, athletic or otherwise,” he noted in a recent interview with The Sun.
Hyun was nominated for the program by his AP biology teacher, Tara Sharp.
“I wasn’t sure what exactly this program would be like,” he explained. “I asked a family friend of mine, who said he had a great time working with other like-minded scholars to research something he was curious about. After hearing that, I decided to apply during the next cycle.”
The selection process starts with a required nomination from a teacher, mentor, or anyone who believes a student would be a good fit for the program. Hyun then filled out an online application that included his GPA, high-school courses, relevant STEM and non STEM experiences and an essay on what issues he would tackle as part of an executive group that answers to the U.S. president.
“I was ecstatic,” Hyun recalled of hearing about his selection. “I had heard nothing but amazing things about the program from friends, so I was excited to be able to experience it for myself.”
Hyun hopes to study mechanical engineering in college and pursue a career in sustainable energy, defense or transportation.
“During our first full-cohort meeting, I realized that many of the students participating were from Central or North Jersey,” he noted. “I feel especially proud to be able to represent Lenape High School, Mount Laurel, and the South Jersey region in this program.”
To learn more about the STEM program, visit www.govstemscholars.com
