14-year-old Anika Chebrolu of Frisco, Texas, was named the winner of the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a competition for middle school scientists.
She started her project two years ago, researching the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. And then, the coronavirus hit and Anika shifted her focus to the modern pandemic we’re facing.
Anika worked with a database of almost 698 million molecules and made a powerful discovery that could actually lead to a potential cure.
She was thrilled to win the $25,000 grand prize, but is also proud to be an example to other kids, showing them that they can accomplish anything they want.