Distinguished Finalist

Abilene Lortz, 15, of Saint James, Mo., a freshman at John F. Hodge High School, played a pivotal role in advocating for a law that created STEM awareness programs for middle school students and allowed computer science to count as a math credit towards high school graduation. She is the founder of “STEM Girl, Inc.,” which introduces STEM education in elementary schools and has raised $10,000 to provide summer camp scholarships for STEM programs.