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Allison Mathis

Junior Gardenia Rabadan hoped to one day be surrounded by brilliant minds and brilliant physicians.

Little did she know, she would get to experience exactly that at the age of 16.

Rabadan represented Chapman and the state of South Carolina at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston, Mass, this summer.

She was not the only Chapman student who junior who was in Boston. Jasmine Zalucky represented Chapman and the state of South Carolina at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, both located in Boston, Mass.

“I got an invitation in the mail saying that I was suggested by one of my teachers,” Zalucky said.

While in Boston, they were inducted into The Torch and Laurel Society, which is a program that helps students be awarded scholarships.

When they returned, they received an Award of Excellence that was presented to them by Principal Ty Dawkins.

Being asked to attend was a great feeling for them.

“It was definitely a great honor being recognized by what I want to do as a career in the future,” Zalucky said.

“It felt very unreal,” Rabadan said.

The two students experienced different things and learn from leaders in the science field including Buzz Aldrin, Shree Bose, David Wineland, John C. Mather and Jack Szostak.

“I was really excited to meet Shree Bose,” Rabadan said. “She was the 2011 Google Global Science Fair winner and cofounder of the program Piper. It was inspiring to learn that a woman of a different background could go so far and be so successful.”

“Listening to the speakers talk about how they help other countries and how they’ve advanced many technologies for third world countries was definitely a new experience,” Zalucky said. “I got to see how they’ve made a huge impact on other people’s life and how you can do the same. They motivated us to keep on the path to what successes we want to achieve.”

Rabadan said that the speakers she heard were encouraging. One person stood out.

“It was amazing to hear Buzz Aldrin speak,” she said. “The stories he told us were truly inspiring. Everyone there encouraged me to make a difference. They taught me that you don’t have to end world hunger to make a difference. What is important is if you changed at least one person’s life for the better.”

Zalucky learned the value of hard work.

“I learned that no matter what happens along the way, you can’t let people stand in front of what you want to achieve and that the one goal may be hard to achieve but it’s definitely worth it in the end,” she said.

In the future Rabadan plans to attend the University of Virginia and major in Psychology or chemistry.

Zalucky plans on going to the Virginia College of Medicine for the medical program and getting her doctorate in the trauma center.

They both agree that this experience has put them on the track to make it there but feel lucky to have been a part of it.

“I have no idea how I got so blessed to be offered this amazing opportunity,” Rabadan said.