The CAP would like to congratulate Alberta’s École McTavish High School student, Maryam Tsegaye, for winning the 2020 Breakthrough Junior Challenge for her video about Quantum Tunneling.
In June 2020, Maryam uploaded her submission video to Youtube. The video uses the topic of a video game cheat code that allowed her brother to walk through walls to dissect the complex subject of quantum tunneling in an easy to follow, humour, and personable manner. In addition to being a role model for youth interested in physics, Maryam is the first Canadian to have ever won the 2020 Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Watch Maryam’s submission video here.
The prize is comprised of a $250,000 post-secondary scholarship, $100,000 for a new school science lab, and a $50,000 prize for the recipients teacher.
Sal Khan, from Khan Academy, and NASA Astronaut, Scott Kelly, surprised Maryam Tseygaye with her award via live video chat. Watch the emotional full video here.
Pulled from the official website, The Breakthrough Junior Challenge founded in 2015 is a “global science video competition, aiming to develop and demonstrate young people’s knowledge of science and scientific principles; generate excitement in these fields; support STEM career choices; and engage the imagination and interest of the public in key concepts of fundamental science.”
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