Prize Recipient

Maya Ortega

Background:

My name is Maya Ortega and I am from Aurora, Colorado, where I attended Grandview High School.  In high school, I had two amazing physics teachers for AP Physics B and AP Physics C.  I enjoyed both classes and I found that I really loved physics.  I also took a physics course as part of a summer program at Caltech, which really sparked my interest in modern physics.  I am now a first-year at the University of Colorado at Boulder and though I am not sure what I want to do with physics, I am considering astrophysics or biophysics.  I hope to continue on to get my PhD and continue doing research, possibly while teaching at a university.  I have also considered teaching high school later in my career as a scientist, because I would love to inspire others the way my two high school physics teachers inspired me.