Kush Aggarwal poses with his invention
Photo courtesy of UCFSD
Shawn Fan ‘27
REPORTER
This fall, freshman Kush Aggarwal was named a 300 Junior Innovator by The Society for Science. According to The Society for Science, the Junior Innovators program recognizes top young researchers like Aggarwal who demonstrate exceptional talent and innovation in scientific fields. He credited his success to many of his eighth-grade teachers, including Mr. Brandon Marabella and Mrs. Mary Jo Knauer. “Mr. Marabella helped me choose a topic, and Mrs. Knauer helped me get into the science fair track,” Aggarwal said.
The success of his research project, “Ionic Thrusters: Propelling Our Future,” prompted his choice to participate in various fairs such as the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Science Fair, the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), and the Delaware Valley Science Fair. From here, students in the top ten percent of their local fair can then attend the Thermo Fisher JIC. 30 selected finalists are then allowed to compete for over $100,000 in prizes. Furthermore, as a reward for his accomplishment, Aggarwal and the other named Junior Innovators were each given a $125 reward from the Department of Defense STEM, as well as prizes, gifts, and a Wolfram Mathematica subscription. “I'm gonna use [the prize money] on Amazon,” said Aggarwal.
Throughout Aggarwal’s time at the middle school, his science courses and the projects in the classes piqued his interest in space and physics, more specifically space travel. He stated that his seventh grade science course initially sparked his interest in the topic. “Mrs. [Jennifer] Gera … was probably the reason I got so invested,” Aggarwal said. Furthermore, he gave credit to the high school and its help on his project. “The high school taught me the reasons behind the project and how [the design] worked,” he said.
Aggarwal was inspired by personal research to develop his project. “I saw that it took a while to get to the Moon and Mars so I wanted to optimize that time,” he said. “I used an ion thruster gun model and improved off of it. The electricity goes in, bumps off electrons in the air, and then the positives go towards the positively charged rings in the front, and those are then propelled outward. It’s basically a weak air gun.”
His road to success was molded by his mentors and teachers. “Teachers helped me get my project along,” he said. Aggarwal further said that his own ambition was his main drive. “I am more of an individual guy, so my biggest challenge and my biggest ally was myself,” he said. Addressing the overall hardships on his journey, Aggarwal said his “road to victory” was a great experience. “It was a little stressful from time to time, but I would say that it was fun as a whole,” he said. Adding a little humor, he even credits rapper Kanye West. “Kanye West’s song ‘Stronger’ made me stronger,” Aggarwal said.
Aggarwal’s recognition and his achievement meant a great deal to him. “I felt very happy that [my hard work] paid off,” he said. Aggarwal reflected on the experience: “It taught me that I have potential,” he said. “My research could make it faster to reach further places in the future.” Aggarwal wants to make it to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest pre-college science competition. “ISEF would be a big goal of mine and I feel that it could definitely amplify my impact on the world,” he said.
Giving advice to fellow innovators, Aggarwal said, “Follow your instincts, trust your gut, and do what you are passionate about. Celebrating this reward really assured my interest towards the physics and optics field for sure.”
