Truly Exceptional
What else can you call a 17-year-old high school student recently given the title of the continent's top high school bio-scientist at the Sanofi-aventis International Bio-GENEius Challenge in Boston? He was selected first from among thirteen other aspirants to the crown, claiming $7,500 in prize money and becoming the first Canadian to ever win that competition.But that's kind of small change for Ted Paranjothy who lives in Winnipeg and attends Fort Richmond Collegiate. This young man who holds a patent for an anti-cancer agent; who has co-written two articles appearing in scientific journals was also declared the top student bio-scientist in North America. And an award that gifted him with a TD Canada Trust Scholarship for Community Leadership worth $60,000.
Mr. Paranjothy has been working with a mentor for the last two years, an associate professor in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics at the University of Manitoba, and CFI Canada Research Chair in New Cancer Therapies, Dr. Marek Los. "He's basically being treated as a PhD student already", according to Dr. Los.
After attending a full day of school at Fort Richmond Collegiate (he's student council president), he goes off to the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology to conduct research until two or three in the morning. At that dim morning hour he arrives home, showers, completes his school homework, before heading for bed and a scant two to three hours' sleep.
He gets a little additional sleep time on the week-ends, but that's also when he volunteers as a recreational assistant with developmentally disabled children. He even finds time to go bowling with friends, play basketball, football, go to movies. And he really is a normal teen, claiming to love watching some television, and not being utterly enchanted with assignments for school essays.
It mightn't be an overstatement to know his parents are proud of this son of theirs.
Labels: Heroes and Villains
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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