Four juniors win Goldwater prize

Four juniors have received Goldwater Scholarships, a prestigious award for exceptional undergraduates interested in careers in engineering, mathematics and the natural sciences.

The winners are Christina Chang ’12, a chemistry major from Austin, Texas, Natalie Jia Guo ’12, a molecular biology major from Baltimore, Md., Anna Patej ’12, a physics major from Aliso Viejo, Calif. and Sean Sketch ’12, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Durham, N.C.

Out of a pool of 1,095 students from accross the nation, 275 recipients were selected.

The recipients all said that the scholarship was a large honor and expressed their happiness at hearing they had won.

Guo said it was a testament to the University that each winner represented such a different area of scientific study.

The scholarship process made her proud to be a molecular biology major at the University, she said.

“They really encourage all students to think critically and creatively in classes and in our independent work,” she added.

Sketch expressed similar sentiments on his own department, explaining that, although the scholarship highlights individual achievement, he believes that having four students from the University recieve the award in the same year “is really a reflection of the type of student that Princeton attracts, as well as the type of scholarship that the academic community fosters.”

Named in honor of Sen. Barry Goldwater and awarded by the Goldwater Foundation, the scholarships cover academic expenses including tuition, room and board, books and other fees all up to $7,500 per year.

Past Goldwater Scholars have gone on to also receive many other prestigious awards including the Rhodes Scholarships, Marshall Awards and Churchill Scholarships.

The Goldwater Foundation has granted over 6,600 scholarships worth over 50 million dollars combined since 1989.