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A Nobel Journey: Carnegie Senior Anna Oliva Attends the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony

By Lucy Walker, Contributing writer | December 23, 2024

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WHEN IN SWEDEN Anna presented her research on mathematical billiards to over 900 students at the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar this December. (Photo courtesy of Unga Forsake)

Carnegie senior Anna Oliva traveled to Stockholm, Sweden this month to attend the Nobel Prize Award ceremony and participate in the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar along with over 1,000 students between the ages of 18 and 25. The trip was part of a prize package awarded to her at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, Calif., where she placed first in the Mathematics category.

As Anna mingled during the program’s festivities, she was happy to meet so many other dedicated researchers, including new friends from Hungary and Bulgaria. “There's not that many young people doing STEM at such a rigorous level,” she said. “It was really nice to meet other people that shared my mentality towards life – going all in for science.”

Over the course of the week, Anna attended lectures by Nobel Laureates and even spoke on a panel alongside one: Dr. David Baker, whose work in biochemistry has landed him a spot on Time Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential People in health. She found Dr. John Hopfield’s seminar particularly inspiring: “He said a lot of beautiful things about science as a field,” she said. “One thing that really stood out to me was when he said physics isn't a field – it's a way of seeing the world.”

NOBEL OF THE BALL As a part of her first-place prize at ISEF, Anna Oliva attended the Nobel Prize Award ceremony and afterparty on Dec. 10. (Photo courtesy of Unga Forsake)

Anna’s award-winning research in billiards made the trip with her from Houston to Stockholm, where she presented her work in front of an audience of 900. She is currently working to publish her findings. Her first article, published this September in Hydrobiology, discusses her research on chlorophyll concentrations and leaf growth.

In addition to academic programming, the Seminar’s leaders also organized group trips for students to explore Sweden’s culture. The group took trips to science and photography museums and enjoyed festive Christmas markets. One highlight for Anna was going ice skating for the first time in real snow. She is happy to report no broken bones.

Editor’s note: Read more about Anna and her passion for science in Sine of Success: Carnegie senior wins big at international science fair, in our Aug. 2024 issue, and read more by St. John’s School senior Lucy Walker, a School Buzz reporter, here.