Hi, I’m Hillary.
ASTROPHYSICIST IN TRAINING | SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR
I get excited about science; and as a science communicator, I work to get others excited about it too!
Currently, I am a first-year student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in Physics and minoring in both Astronomy and Philosophy. I also do astrophysics research at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.
I use this site both as a portfolio and a blog. Behind every post is me struggling to make sense of the universe and attempting to understand it better through writing.
The Challenge is an annual global competition for students ages 13 to 18. To enter, you must create a 3-minute video explaining a big scientific idea in Physics, Life Sciences, Mathematics, or specially for this year, COVID-19.
The winner takes home amazing prizes: a $250,000 scholarship, a $100,000 Breakthrough Science Lab, and a $50,000 prize for their teacher.
In 2016, I made the decision to join this competition. In 2017, I won—against all expectations. Little did I know how much that seemingly inconsequential decision would change my life.
This year, the Challenge is back! Given how amazing this opportunity is, I strongly encourage you to join! Now, you're likely on this site because in this video, I promised to help you out with tips, resources, and stories. Here, I shall deliver.
I put a lot of time into this because I know how challenging it is to join the competition. I'll also be updating this page over the next few weeks whenever I have time. I hope you find them helpful!