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Madeline La Venuta

1,605

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Finalist

Bio

I wish to major in Sustainable Biomaterials at Virginia Tech. I have a great support system at home, they love to push me to be the greatest I know I can become. With my education, I pledge to make a positive environmental impact on our Earth. I believe we should leave things better than when we came, and that includes our own planet.

Education

Eastern View High School

High School
2021 - 2025

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Sustainability Studies
    • Psychology, General
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Renewables & Environment

    • Dream career goals:

      Sports

      Volleyball

      Varsity
      2020 – Present5 years

      Awards

      • Coach's Award
      • Varsity Letter Award

      Research

      • Business Administration, Management and Operations

        Virginia Earth System Science Scholars — Project Scientist
        2024 – 2024

      Arts

      • Eastern View High School

        Visual Arts
        Hands, Statue, Parrot, Dogs
        2021 – Present

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        PATH Recreation and Fitness Center — Assistant Coach
        2024 – 2024
      • Volunteering

        St. Luke's Lutheran Church — Driver
        2024 – 2024

      Future Interests

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Entrepreneurship

      Dennis L. N. Yakobson Scholarship Fund
      It is well known that nonrenewable energy practices are a cheap and easy-to-use energy source. However, what has also come to light in past years is the virulent and hazardous byproducts of these practices. Millions of scientists and engineers have jointly worked on techniques to remove nonrenewable energy practices, but it is unlikely humanity will ever get rid of nonrenewable techniques entirely. Instead, we should consider combining renewable and traditional energy practices to ease the transition, save the planet, and reduce costs. Firstly, old-fashioned energy techniques like oil rigging and coal mining have been practiced for centuries. That proves the world is not just going to up and drop traditional practices out of the blue. For companies and consumers to agree to use renewable energy, there must be a gradual transition. One example is the Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) company, which uses power-to-gas technology to harness wind power to power electrolysis. They succeeded by using 30% hydrogen and natural gas to power their turbines. Furthermore, their technique showed a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions, another benefit of this practice. A combination of these two technologies prevents the company from completely stopping operations, in turn saving them money and promoting environmentally friendly practices. Secondly, nonrenewable energy sources are not sustainable. The continuous use of these techniques cannot be supported by our planet. However, combining the two technologies of nonrenewable and renewable energy offers a simple solution. An example of this practice working is the Petra Nova project being executed in Texas. Their process includes capturing CO2, a dangerous greenhouse gas, which is then stored underground for manufacturing concrete, oil recovery techniques, and more. In turn, they not only save the environment but create a smarter way to produce other materials. Finally, using nonrenewable energy sources may seem cheap initially, but the cost of searching, extracting, and transfiguring the items each time adds up. Studies from across the globe have found that companies that reduce their use of nonrenewable energy techniques have shown to have more cost-effective results. One example is Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system turbines from Turboden generate revenue from seemingly useless byproducts. Additionally, Turkey is using the same technique to combust chicken manure and generate electricity from it, then is sold to power companies. These techniques save and generate capital for the company, a win-win scenario. Overall, the combination of renewable and traditional energy sources can positively impact the environment by appealing to the masses, cleaning the environment, and proving to be inexpensive. Futuristic companies have already invested in these techniques due to their benefits. With cooperation from more individuals and corporations, the world could experience pollution reduction while keeping businesses in good practice. From chicken manure to hydrogen and natural gas turbines, each technique will bring humanity increased environmental health and happiness.