Star student accepted into elite program

SUSSEX BOROUGH — For many High Point High School students, the school year is over for summer vacation.

For some, like Wantage Junior Kaitlyn MacMillan, it’s the chance to get started on some college-level scientific research.

MacMillan was chosen statewide to participate in a three-week residential study program at the New Jersey Governor’s School in the Sciences at Drew University. Each high school is allowed to nominate one student for every 325 juniors. Nearly 400 applications are reviewed for possible acceptance each year. nly about 80-85 of those applications get accepted.

MacMillan’s was one of them.
She and Kittatinny Regional High School student Cara Giovanetti were the only two Sussex County students selected this year to attend the tuition-free program, which includes room, meals at the University Commons dining hall, books and extracurricular expenses.

The program is supported by corporate and individual sponsors and the state of New Jersey.

MacMillan will leave July 12, where she’ll be submersed in collegiate-level scientific research, guided by experienced professionals in the varying areas of study. The program’s goal is to inspire young scholars to major in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields in college.

Each participant studies in three different classes of their own choosing from a list of six, excluding lab work and team projects. Students will return home Aug. 1.

“I’ve always been interested in science, even when I was a little girl,” said MacMillan, who found out in December that she was nominated to participate in the program. “In my first application essay, I talked about the mysteries of brain function in relation to my two favorite fields of study — neuroscience and neurology. In my second essay, I talked about the possible effectiveness of using radio waves to treat cancer.”

“I found out I was accepted in March,” MacMillan continues, “and my family and I are very excited.”

This past school year, MacMillan took AP Physics, AP Chemistry and an Honors Research course. MacMillan says she worked on labs continuously in all of her science classes this past year, but most especially in her Honors Research course, which met only two days a week.

She says her science teacher, Madelaine Travaille, has prepared her well for the summer program.

“The Guidance Department always asks the AP teachers for students who fit the criteria for the selective summer program,” Travaille said. “Students are typically picked within the top five ranking students in the class based on PSAT scores, grade point average, community service, etc. Kaitlyn is intelligent, bright and a hard worker but beyond that, she has done research and generally loves science.”

According to Travaille, MacMillan proved her conviction to studying science in her Introduction to Research course.

“I really saw the scientist in her,” says Travaille.

MacMillan said she wants to go into the medical field.

“I’ve been looking at Grove City College in Pennsylvania and Cedarville University in Ohio, but I also want to apply to places like Cornell and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland to see if I can get in,” she said.

A member of the Science National Honor Society and Science Research Club, in her spare time, MacMillan is a dancer with Dream Xtreme Dance Arts, Inc. in Franklin and enjoys volunteering with her church, Lafayette Federated. This summer, MacMillan also will travel to Haiti for a church mission trip.