National JSHS first place winner Paige Brown recently took to the TEDxDirigo stage to discuss her award-winning research and lifelong love of science. Paige, who is a recent graduate of Bangor High School, has spent the past two years collecting and testing water samples from the streams in her hometown for phosphorus and other harmful pollutants. After months of research, she utilized her findings to create a phosphorus-eating filter to help improve the quality of stream water. Beginning this fall, she will attend Stanford University with plans to study chemical engineering.

Watch her fantastic talk about fierce determination, the power of curiosity, and how her high school’s inaugural STEM class inspired her to solve this real-world challenge. Way to go, Paige!