Teen Scientist Gets High Honor from Obamas

Young Organist

Back in 2002, when former church organist David Christianson purchased an Oberlinger practice organ for his home, he thought maybe he would play from time to time to relax. But, as it turns out, he can’t do it. That’s because his then 7-year-old daughter Karen liked this impressive instrument and devoted her life to classical music. Now, after hours of practice during eight years, 15-year-old Karen is one of the youngest organ virtuosos in the country. She recently made her radio debut on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” show.

Karen’s parents, David and Anastasia, said they had known since a very early age that Karen was musically inclined. “She was very skilled on the piano, even at the age of six,” said Anastasia. According to Karen, she was first interested in music while watching the organ being assembled in her home. But once she tried her hand – and feet – at it, she was hooked.

At first, she learned to play from her father. But within a year, Karen started studying under Alan Morrison, chair of the organ department at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

At the age of 8, she gave her first public performance at the historic Christ Church in Philadelphia. Soon after, she performed her first solo recital, playing a selection of Bach in honor of his birthday. By the age of 9, she was composing original works.

In the sixth-grade, she played in Notre Dame de Paris for acclaimed organist Olivier Latry. In 2010 alone, she performed in Atlanta, San Francisco, Athens, the Netherlands, New York and Abilene. And she’s got a full calendar already for 2011.

In the summer of 2009, Karen had a recital in Rhode Island. Her younger brother, Nicholas, an accomplished cellist in his own right, had a recital in Washington, DC, on the same day.

Despite her practice between 8-10 hours a week and tight schedule, she has a full load of academic and extracurricular activities without missing them.

And on top of all that, she still finds time to be a pretty normal teenager. She loves sailing and soccer. She is never far from her iPod, which holds an eclectic mix of Rock, Pop, Country and, of course, classical. And, as she looks toward her critical junior year at Episcopal Academy, her thoughts are turning to college and beyond.

She is currently at work transcribing the theme music from “The Simpsons” for the organ, just for kicks. And though she is still debating whether she’ll pursue music therapy or teaching, she knows that touching others with music will definitely be a part of her future.

Li Boynton, 18, a senior at Bellaire High School, says meeting the president and first lady in White House will top the stack of academic honors she has accumulated.

In the fifth grade, Li Boynton, inspired by the hardships of the shipwrecked protagonist of Yann Martel’s novel “The Life of Pi”, built a device that removed salt from seawater. In the 11th grade she created a cheap method of testing for water contaminants.

Along the way, the Bellaire High School senior racked up $50,000 in college scholarships, won top honors in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, became a semifinalist in Intel’s Science Talent Search and was accepted to Yale University.

Biology teacher Anna Loonam, who taught Boynton as a freshman and again as a junior, called her “a top science student.” Art teacher Jo Zider has described her as “one who looks deeply into the mystery of life.” An entire class of younger science students appreciates her, too.

Boynton’s premier achievement as a young scientist was creation of a method to test for water pollutants by using light-generating bacteria. The student found that the microscopic organisms generated less light as the water’s toxicity grew.

By placing a bacterial culture in a light-tight box with a digital camera and processing the results through a free computer program, Boynton was able to reliably and cheaply test for half a dozen common pollutants. The technology, which won top science and engineering fair honors, has potential for testing water purity in developingcountries where more costly testing procedures are not an option.

Boynton, who hopes to become a medical doctor or researcher or both, credits her mother, Laura Luo, a financial manager; her father, John Boynton, an aeronautical engineer; and her stepfather, Robert Pearson, a computer science expert, for supporting her academic interests.

Accepted by Yale, Boynton recently also applied to Harvard University.

Outside the classroom, Boynton enjoys socializing on Web social sites and shopping. Sports, she said, hold little charm. “I tried to make the tennis team,” she said, grimacing. “Physical education is one of my worst classes. I failed pushups.”

Вправа 3. Дайте відповіді на запитання про обох дівчаток-підлітків:

1. What is her name? 2. How old is she? 3. Does she go to school? 4. What is she famous for? 5. When did she begin her career? 6. Who does she live with? 7. What do her parents and other relatives do? 8. What are her achievements? 9. Is she a normal teenager? 10. What is she going to do in future? 11. What does she do in her free time? 12. Is she good at sports?

3.3. Письмові завдання

Вправа 4. Складіть розповіді про різних людей, користуючись інфор-мацією з таблиці. Наприклад: Jean Lacroi is a taxi driver. He comes from France and lives in Paris. He works...

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