Connor Krening
The DuPont Challenge 2007
Finalist, Junior Division
Sonoran Trails Middle School
Phoenix/Cave Creek, AZ
Essay Title: Photovoltaic Cells: How They Work, Present Uses, and Future Possibilities
Teacher: Robert Johns
What are you doing now?
I am currently finishing up my undergraduate bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. I engage with the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Sun Devil Marching Band, and juggling academics with part time work. If you can’t tell, I would love to be working in the automotive field in the future, possibly with non-traditional energy sources.
Where did you go to college and what was your major?
I am currently attending Arizona State University, projected to graduate in May 2016.
What were some of your favorite memories from the competition or awards trip?
My favorite aspect of the competition was the fact that it was my first academic paper; I wrote it in the seventh grade. It really helped get me interested in the STEM fields and is part of the reason I love reading about news on the subject, as well as explaining why I enjoy magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics.
Do you think taking The DuPont Challenge was a meaningful experience?
Of course The DuPont Challenge was a valuable experience! I believe it cemented in my head that the STEM fields are not only useful but get recognition and if you put in your strongest effort, your pains will not go unrewarded.
Why would you say science writing is important, and what role has it played in your life?
Science education is intrinsically valuable because it develops the skills our society needs as it progresses into an increasingly technological era. Moreover, science education is valuable because it ingrains other important fields of knowledge. For example: learning algebra is much more pressing if you are trying to balance chemical reactions, trigonometry is more urgent when you need to find a reaction force in a physics problem, writing and grammar must be impeccable if you are writing for a scientific journal, and so on. Science education has played a major role in my life. As you can see, I am still pursuing that education and I don’t plan on stopping just because I have graduated.