14-year-old receives scholarship to FIU 


Just midway through her freshman year of high school, Miami Beach Senior High School student Rebecca Rauch-Thane has been awarded a full scholarship to FIU.

The scholarship was awarded today during the Community Resiliency Summit: Miami Beach Rising Above, hosted by Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine.

Miami Beach Senior High School freshman Rebecca Rauch-Thane was awarded a scholarship to FIU during the Miami Beach Community Resiliency Summit in March.

Miami Beach Senior High School freshman Rebecca Rauch-Thane was awarded a scholarship to FIU during the Miami Beach Community Resiliency Summit in March.

“It’s a bit unusual to award such a scholarship to someone who isn’t even finished with their freshman year of high school, but Rebecca has already proven she is an exceptional student committed to meaningful solutions to the world’s problems,” said Mike Heithaus, interim dean of FIU’s College of Arts & Sciences. “We want to make sure she has the opportunity to stay here in South Florida, where she can make a difference.”

Rauch-Thane made headlines with her latest science fair project, which tested for heavy metal soil contamination in Virginia Key and Key Biscayne. The honor roll student focused on coconut water, testing for pollutants that may have entered through the root systems. Her project, which showed concerning levels of contamination, was one of 30 selected to compete in the State Science and Engineering Fair. More importantly, the methods she used could be a low-cost alternative to more expensive environmental studies.

Her passion for scientific solutions began in fourth grade as nothing more than a routine class assignment. At the time, Rauch-Thane was most concerned about getting an A on her project. But through that experience — examining the effects of warming temperatures on sea anemones — she found a passion.

“A continued emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), both at the K-12 level and at universities, will serve our students in their future careers and benefit our nation for years to come,” said Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Rauch-Thane’s projects have evolved since fourth grade, offering both data and solutions for real-world issues. The one consistent theme for each project is that she always focuses on the world around her, specifically, South Florida.

“I always want to do good work, but this last project with the coconut water was a bit of a different experience,” Rauch-Thane said. “I realized that what I’m doing can affect people. It can help people.”

With three years left of high school, Rauch-Thane still has plenty of time to decide what she will major in when she goes to college. While biology or chemistry may seem the obvious choices, she also likes to write, has an interest in literature and likes to build things. But science is still top-of-mind. She’s recently converted one of her science projects into a children’s book. Last year, after a devastating typhoon in the Philippines, Rauch-Thane designed and built a prototype of a small radio receiver unit to assist first responders and victims in natural disasters. That project won an award from the U.S. Air Force for Outstanding Science or Engineering Fair Project. And in 2013, the International Child Art Foundation in Washington D.C. featured an article by Rauch-Thane in its summer water issue.