Buchholz senior named scholar; A. Quinn Jones teacher honored for behavioral health work

Aida Mallard, The Gainesville Sun
·2 min read

The Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, has named Buchholz High School's Anjana Balachandar as one of 300 scholars. For her placement as a scholar, Balachandar and Buchholz will each receive a $2,000 prize.

Balachandar was selected from a pool of 1,804 applicants from 603 high schools representing 46 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and eight other countries.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides students with a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and novel discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges.

The title of Balachandar’s work is “ Extending the Boundaries of 3D Printing of Soft Matter.”

Anjana Balachandar was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search scholar. [Special to The Sun]
Anjana Balachandar was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search scholar. [Special to The Sun]

“It’s a really exciting opportunity,” Balachandar said. “I’ve been working on the research for about two years now. It has been a long process and I’m just really excited to potentially present it in the future and show my passion for how excited I am about it (the research).”

Forty of the 300 scholars will be named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists, and will then compete for more than $1.8 million in awards during a week-long competition taking place March 10-16.

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A. Quinn Jones Center language arts teacher Cassidy Klein was named the 2022 Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH) Region 8 Teacher of the Year.

The award is presented annually by the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. Region 8 represents Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Klein, who is in her fourth year at A. Quinn Jones and was the center’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, said that a passion for working with her students made receiving the DEBH award very special.

“I feel very passionate about students with emotional and behavioral disabilities,” Klein said. “It’s definitely my passion, so any time you’re recognized for something you really care about, it feels good.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville's Anjana Balachandar and Cassidy Klein earn recognition