Manu Kondapi, grade 11,  is an outstanding student at Horizon Honors. She is involved in most of the clubs Horizon Honors offers including Student Council, National Honors Society, and Environmental/Wilderness Club.When she’s not at school she spends her time interning  for SCENE Research Program at Arizona State University. She applied for the internship in August and was chosen in September.

Kondapi usually spends two days a week at the program but lately she has been spending three to four days and three hours a night. “I’m working in Professor Mary Lind’s Advanced Membrane Materials Lab with a PhD student to develop corrosion-resistant membranes that optimize wastewater recovery.” Kondapi told me; she enjoys her internship very much and with all of the information she is learning she is creating a research paper. Even though she is getting more experience than most students her age, she still is unsure of what college she plans on attending or what she will major in. “I would like to attend a liberal arts college. I’m leaning towards mathematics as part of a double major.” Kondapi is hoping to use the internship to help make a decision for her future. For now she is focusing on her classes in school and is looking forward to her spring break plans.

As long as I’ve known her, Kondapi always has amazing vacation plans for any break throughout the school year. “I’m going to Spain, France, like the Normandy Beaches, and The Netherlands with my family!” She told me that she is excited for the break and to continue with her internship.