From elementary schoolers to seniors, students across the state congregated for the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair. After conversing with the judges regarding their work, twenty finalists were chosen to attend the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Amongst those finalists was Jay Nimbalkar, a Junior at Green Hope. 

Presenting research regarding eco-friendly choices, Nimbalkar proudly described the passion project he’s been working on for a year. “My project was called Sustainability Scanner: Empowering Consumers to Make Eco-Friendly Grocery Purchases. Though it is important for individuals to lead a sustainable lifestyle, many people are simply not able to make eco-friendly purchases, particularly with food items, due to misleading fine-print, greenwashing, and hard to understand labeling,” he said. “My application is able to quickly calculate a single, holistic, and easy-to-understand score regarding the sustainability of a food product, which will help consumers make informed grocery purchases.” 

In regards to the fair itself, Nimbalkar dedicated over 500 hours in the past year to this project and described the fair as a “great opportunity” to showcase his work. The proud finalist was elated to partake in both events, also using this time to connect with fellow students who share interests in the same field along with working alongside researchers. 

Nimbalkar won 1st place overall in the Technology category at the NC Science and Engineering Fair, in addition to the Yale Science and Engineering Award and the Ricoh Sustainable Development Award. At the international fair, he achieved 4th place in Software Systems and was awarded the $5,000 Oracle Academy Award.

Nimbalkar concluded by giving a word of advice to those who are strongly passionate about a certain idea. “I would advise everyone to be confident in themselves and their projects. Believe in the work you’ve done and project that passion when you talk about your project,” he said. No matter how big or small the challenge, anything can be tackled if you put your mind to it!