Prize Recipient

Sarajane A. Williams

Background:

Sarajane A. Williams, a native of Prairie View, Texas, will be entering Yale University in the fall of 2005. Sarajane is a summa cum laude graduate of Waller High School. While at Waller High School, she served as Science Club President and Treasurer and Senior Representative of the Waller Box of Stars Theatre. She played trombone in the Honor and Jazz Bands, was a member of the Spanish Club, of the award winning Computer Science team, and won numerous U.I.L. contests in Mathematics and Journalism.

Sarajane has been active in her community through serving as President of the Prairie View Chapter of Top Teens of America and as Miss Top Teen and Miss Juneteenth. Additionally, she served as lead attorney in the Waller County Teen Court program and as a volunteer builder with Habitat for Humanity. She has also volunteered with the Hempstead Retirement Center, the Prairie View Retired Teachers Association, the Lord of the Streets, the Star of Hope Mission, and Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat.

Among Sarajane's honors are being named a National Merit Scholar, National Achievement Scholar, Texas Scholar, Ventures Scholar, and Lucent Global Science Scholar.

Sarajane has always been interested in physics, particularly astrophysics. Her imagination was spurred as a child by reading books such as A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. She aspires to someday work at NASA.