On February 3rd, Regeneron hosted a celebration to recognize the achievements of the 17 students selected as the Westchester 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars.
Beginning in 1942, the contest was known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search until 1998 when it was passed over to Intel. Eventually, Regeneron, which was founded by an STS Alum present at Monday’s event, took over sponsorship in 2017. Regardless of who the contest is sponsored by the contest that’s referred to casually by students all over the country as ‘science research’, remains the oldest scientific research competition for high school students with over 2,500 entrants in 2025. Out of those entrants, the top 300 students are announced in January, with finals week presentations occurring in March for the top 40 finalists. Vivek Malik from the Hackley School in Tarrytown, will be the only student from Westchester to compete in the final round.
“40 years ago, I was in your guys’ shoes,” said George D. Yancopoulos, one of the co-founders of Regeneron and an alum of the program, when he spoke to the 17 students who sat before him, “My project was on the regeneration of neurons. Regeneron is a contraction of those words. So, in a way, I haven’t moved too far from my high school science project, and we have a whole company that’s still working on it.”
The competition itself requires intensive, multi-year dedication by students on any topic of their choice. Kento Luke Hong from Edgemont High School investigated the effects of hemarthrosis on the structure and function of ACL repair. Meanwhile, Elena Coelho Adams from New Rochelle High School studied the relationships between auditory and visual input and the formation of synesthetic associations.
“None of this happens without brilliant scientific minds. Innovation depends not only on people making discoveries but then turning those discoveries into solutions, drugs, therapies, and bringing them to people who need them most. We know that in order to do that, it’s not just about investing in breakthroughs happening today, it’s about looking into the future and the next generation,” said Christina Chan, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Regeneron before introducing the Westchester County legislators and the students from their districts.
Overall, there were 10 speakers on Monday night, including Richard Wishnie, Vedat Gashi, Margaret Cunzio, Benjamin Boykin, Nancy Barr, Terry Clements, Judah Holstein and David Imamura, all of whom represent different districts stretching from New Rochelle to Ossining.
“I remember sitting in your seats feeling completely inadequate,” said Imamura, District 12 Legislator (Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Edgemont, Hartsdale, Hastings-on-Hudson, and Irvington), who spoke of how he was likely the closest in age to the students before him in the room, and how he could relate to the pressures they experience, “They talk about imposter syndrome. People always feel inadequate. That never ends. But what is true is that you are the ones who will lead us into the 21st century in whatever field you choose,” Imamura said.
The 2025 Regeneron STS saw a record number of entrants from 48 states across 795 high schools in the U.S. Scholars are chosen based on not just their impressive research projects, but also on their leadership skills, involvement with their communities, and their individual creativity, and will compete for more than $1.8 million in awards.
Still, Haylli Yunga from Ossining High School said it was never about the money or the accolades, “For me it was about the journey and being able to do something so amazing. Studying black holes and expanding the knowledge of what we know is just something that I’m so passionate about. It wasn’t about the competition or anything I’ve won; it was about being able to network and work with people in the same field,” Yunga said. Yunga will be majoring in computer science, and although she is excited for college, she said confidently that science research was the best part of her high school experience.
Nora Morton from Horace Greeley High School, who will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for marine sciences, studied the evaluation of the performance of wave attenuation devices at a coastal marsh shoreline using a smartphone-based intensity sensor.
When asked if her personal interests aligned with her academic interests, Morton said, “It helped me a lot with my presentation skills and how to talk to people. It’s given me something I’m proud of.”
In addition to the STS program, Regeneron also sponsors the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair, which in 2025 will feature over 800 Westchester high school students on March 15th. The top 20 finalists of that round will represent Westchester at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio in May.
“Westchester is proud to be home to Regeneron. They employ a tremendous amount of people and do things that are remarkable,” said Vedat Gashi, Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. “While many of you today may dream of being scientists, engineers, and innovators, what I see are the leaders of tomorrow. To all the parents, family members, teachers and mentors who had a hand in empowering the students, our community remains grateful for your time, energy, patience, and faith.”
