North Star Dreamers Memorial Scholarship

Funded by
$5,000
1 winner$5,000
Awarded
Application Deadline
Aug 15, 2024
Winners Announced
Sep 15, 2024
Education Level
High School
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
High school junior or senior
Desired Career Field:
Science, Invention, Entrepreneurship

Dr. Jeremy Michael Higgins studied Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and received his PH.D. in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

He began his career as a chemist at Brady Corporation in Wisconsin and then spent years as a research scientist for 3M in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. During his time at 3M he had the ability to travel the world. He was very proud of publishing 20 patents for thermally conductive materials. 

Over the last several years many changes occurred for Jeremy that led to leaving 3M in March of 2021. He returned to the Chicagoland area where he pursued a dream—creating a 3D printing company, Ursa Labs, LLC, which operated in Woodridge, IL. 

Jeremy found immense joy working with his hands and creating items to share and sell with others—to “help science past the lab and into the hands of people.” 

The North Star Dreamers Memorial Scholarship aims to honor Dr. Jeremy Michael Higgins by helping young minds pursue a future as an inventor, in science, or entrepreneurship. 

High school juniors or seniors pursuing science, entrepreneurship or plans to become an inventor may apply. 

To apply, please tell us how this scholarship will help you with your career goals. 

Selection Criteria:
Dreamers, Entrepreneurship, Inventors
Published May 8, 2024
Essay Topic

Please tell us how this scholarship will help you with your career goals. 

400–600 words

Winning Application

Aryan Roghani
The University of Texas at AustinLUBBOCK, TX
Imagine waking up one day and not recognizing your face in the mirror. You’ve forgotten the names of your loved ones, the places you’ve visited, and the memories you’ve made—the culprit: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). It was over dinner on a stormy November evening in junior year when my parents revealed to me that my bloodline had the genetic presence of APOE4, an allele regarded to increase one's chance of developing AD. At that moment, I felt shocked and scared, at first believing I was a victim of my “ancestors’ curse". Curious to investigate, I started searching for answers, eventually realizing that science controlled my destiny, not fate. Driven by fear and hope, I sought an opportunity to contribute to the fight against AD. When I first joined Professor Hemachandra Reddy’s lab, I was excited but slightly intimidated. As a high schooler in a lab full of med students and postdocs, I didn’t know whether I would be welcomed. While I entered unsure of what to expect, I quickly realized that my peers never judged my age, but the ideas and work I brought forward. I found a second home in that research lab, but the research insights I gained were even more meaningful. Throughout the process, I learned how to apply software, such as EndNote for referencing, BioRender for creating detailed figures and tables, and PubMed for reading past literature. Professor Reddy also shared his experiences with confounding AbSynapTEX, LLC (a medical research company, particularly focused on AD), which I plan to implement as an undergraduate researcher. Eventually Professor Reddy allowed me to go one step further and lead my own project, resulting in a first-author publication on how damaged cholinergic receptors in the brain of AD patients could be systematically treated by magnetically guided nanoparticles encapsulated with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors - the currently used drug for early-onset AD. After publishing a first-author paper on nanoparticles' role in bypassing the blood-brain barrier of Alzheimer's Disease patients to deliver therapeutics efficiently, I began envisioning a career for myself in the field. I wish to start my own medical technology business, focusing on treating neurodegenerative diseases and an endgame of reconnecting neuronal pathways. By applying all my experiences gained from Reddy's lab and working next year alongside The University of Texas at Austin's Biomedical Engineering and Entrepreneurship Program, I hope to be able to come up with medical devices capable of being implanted in AD patients, providing possible early detection and easier deliverance. Ultimately, I plan on collaborating with similar biopharmaceutical companies, like NeuroPace, in developing the future of effective drug therapy. Because no matter how potent the medications might be in treating the disease, overcoming organic obstacles, such as breaching the Blood-Brain Barrier in Alzheimer's Disease, is essential for achieving a successful procedure and preventing harmful side effects in patients. Since my first day in the lab, I’ve grown more confident in myself and am growing into the scientist I dreamt of becoming. When I presented my research at the 2nd Healthy Aging and Dementia Research Symposium, my age was just a number and my disability felt easier to handle. In that lab environment, my most significant discovery was within myself - I had found an amazing community of people dedicated to the fight against neurological disorders. It's been 118 years since we discovered AD, and countless victims have been lost, including two of my grandparents. However, through years of further innovative research in college and beyond, I seek to forge new headlines: 'Scientists have found a new easily administered drug capable of reversing the progression of Alzheimer's Disease.'
Jason Starr
Briarcliff High SchoolBriarcliff Manor, NY

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Aug 15, 2024. Winners will be announced on Sep 15, 2024.