BUFFALO, N.Y. — Julia Rauker, an eighth-grade student at North Collins Junior High School, is the WGRZ STEM Star of the Month for January 2022.
Nominated by her mom, Julia is described as a hard-working, versatile student who is always looking to challenge herself. And Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Elyse Smith found this out first hand earlier this month. Julia may have been a little nervous for the big interview, but her passion for science and math was evident as the conversation carried on.
Two of Julia's favorite subjects right now are biology and algebra, being advanced in both for her age. And she credits much of her interest in biology to her teacher, noting, "She’s very hands-on even not in lab. We try to do a lot of stuff with paper because, of course, last year it was very difficult (because of COVID)."
Julia also described one of her favorite projects she's done so far this year in her biology class. Her class was learning about the parts of a cell and were each assigned an organelle, one of the structures that make up a cell. She was assigned, "The Golgi apparatus. And we got to make little wanted posters for them which was pretty cool. We got to explain what they did," she said.
And even though Julia has a primary interest in STEM fields such as math and science, she's interested in becoming a lawyer. She believes that challenging herself academically now will help her with the challenges to come with the schooling and everyday duties of a lawyer.
For now, though, Julia continues to earn excellent grades and recently received a scholarship to attend St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster. All the while triumphing over hardship after losing her father to cancer last year. We wish her all the best with her future educational endeavors!
If you know of a student who excels in science, technology, engineering, or math-related fields, nominate them to be the next STEM Star here.