5 Young Women to Watch: Rickards High science whiz Sruthi Sentil is going places
Rickards High School senior Sruthi Sentil answers her phone as any teenager would, in the middle of an Indian Bollywood-Fusion dance practice, where she is preparing with friends for Pangaea, Rickards' annual multicultural showcase.
But after just a few moments of speaking with Sruthi, it is clear that she is no ordinary teenager. Already a seasoned mentor, philanthropist, researcher, and inventor, Sruthi Sentil is one of Tallahassee’s 5 Young Women to Watch.
“It truly is an honor to have my work recognized, and I'm excited to join this community of excellence and make long-lasting connections,” she says.
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Sruthi boasts an impressive academic profile as she prepares to graduate from James S. Rickards High School’s IB program. She’s a National Merit Finalist, a nominee for the Best and Brightest in Technology, recognized by the National Center for Women in Technology as one of the 40 top female high schoolers in computing nationwide, and the winner of the Congressional App Challenge.
Her research project placed third at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), being published in the Phytopathology Journal and earning a spot with the Paret Lab as their sole high-school scientist. “I’m continuing to work with a variety of teams to democratize access to plant disease diagnostics,” she shares, having developed a small microscope and smartphone app that classifies plant diseases. “I really do love seeing how my artificial intelligence applications have benefited others.”
She continued her research endeavors with the Mankin lab, creating an alternative mechanism to detect and mitigate the spread of Huanglongbing, a devastating invasive citrus disease impacting groves in Florida. This project took her to ISEF for a second time, where she placed fourth in her category and won three special awards. Most recently, she was recognized as one of the 2023 Regeneron Science Talent Search’s Top 300 Scholars for her research endeavors.
Such efforts culminated into acceptance to the 2022 Research Science Institute, the world’s most prestigious summer program. As one of only 50 students nationwide selected to complete an internship at MIT, Sruthi worked on a project acoustically localizing the positions of marine life.
As she prepares for college, she is most passionate about continuing her research into developing AI tools for agricultural equity. “If we are able to solve agricultural problems with AI, we can provide extra support for rural areas that don’t have access to it,” she says thoughtfully.
In addition to her own studies, Sruthi is an enthusiastic mentor. After tutoring seven children living in foster care during the pandemic summer of 2020, Sruthi founded BuddyKnit, a nonprofit organization that establishes peer mentorship relationships between high-school and college volunteers and lower-income youth.
Partnerships with the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida Guardian ad-Litem Program, Leon County Schools Title I, the Kearney Center, and other nonprofits expanded her reach, and her program is now part of the school district's volunteer program.
Currently, BuddyKnit has reached 250 volunteers and students, with almost 100 active matches across Pensacola, Leon, and Gadsden counties, and has led to BuddyKnit's Robotics Expo Initiative, transporting high school volunteers to elementary schools for an immersive day of innovation and problem-solving, including designing and building robots.
“Though I do hope to attend college outside of Florida, I will forever be connected to Leon County through my nonprofit BuddyKnit. I'll be handing over the majority of our responsibilities to students local to the area but am planning to continue overseeing the development of our reach within the community.”
Sruthi’s future is bright, and she hopes it is collaborative. “Working with people ranging from researchers to fellow teenage mentors, I can see a bridging of different communities together,” she says. Her work inspires and challenges us to think beyond what we see and know, and stay curious about what could be, sharing, “I hope everyone will take the opportunities they have to reach for their highest aspiration.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 5 Young Women: Tallahassee's Sruthi Sentil pursues big science dreams
