[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 131 (Tuesday, October 8, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1788-E1789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING NIVEDITA BHAT--FINALIST IN DISCOVERY CHANNEL YOUNG SCIENTIST 
                     CHALLENGE NATIONAL COMPETITION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 8, 2002

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, today I commend a young woman from my 
District, Nivedita Bhat. At only 14 years old, Nivedita has risen to 
the highest level of scientific academic achievement for middle-school 
students.
  Nivedita Bhat is one of only 40 students selected from 400 
semifinalists from grades 5-8 throughout the United States to compete 
in the nation's premier science contest: The Discovery Channel Young 
Scientist Challenge national competition. She has shown excellence as 
one of America's top middle-school students in demonstrating 
leadership, team work and problem solving skills. As one of the 
finalists, Nivedita Bhat will join her fellow academic achievers on a 
trip to the nation's capital to compete for a scholarship and the title 
of ``America's Top Young Scientist of the year.''
  Nivedita's winning project, entitled Toxins and Environmental 
Justice. Are We at Risk?, is a testimony to this young woman's 
impressive ability. Most compelling, is the attention she has brought 
to environmental injustice occurring in Miami-Dade County. Using a 
high-level technological tool that assembles and displays information 
relative to spatial locations, Nivedita showed several public schools 
were within a one-mile radius of a Toxic Release Inventory facility and 
face potential health risks. Nivedita also concluded that low-income 
populations were more likely to live near these facilities.

[[Page E1789]]

  Nivedita credits her father as her science hero; ``He is always 
interested in science and is the one who nurtured my love for 
science.'' She wants to become a scientist, ``because furthering and 
researching science makes the most impact not only on the current 
generation, but on future ones as well.''
  Mr. Speaker, given the renewed commitment President Bush and Congress 
have made to the education of our youth, it is clear that positive role 
models are more important now than ever. Through her commitment to her 
education and community Nivedita embodies the socially conscious values 
we as a nation applaud in our young people, and she serves as an 
excellent example to her fellow students in Miami-Dade. I know that 
Miami-Dade is very lucky to have Nivedita Bhat as part of our community 
and I join with the students, faculty, and community in congratulating 
her on this achievement.

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