Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided
Allison Maskew, who attended Noblesville High School, was thrilled to be part of the 2022 Governor’s STEM Team, and is looking forward to her future.
“The Governor’s STEM Team consists of four high school seniors from Indiana that are accomplished in science, technology, engineering and math,” Maskew says. “These students are said to already be impacting their communities and have impactful futures ahead of them. I am honored to be a member of the Governor’s STEM Team as the science representative, and be named a top Indiana student in science due to my accomplishments and achievements in my studies.”
Throughout high school, Maskew participated in numerous college-level courses, such as AP chemistry, AP statistics, anatomy and physiology, and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Sciences courses.
“In these classes I worked to receive A grades,” Maskew says. “Outside of school I was invited to, and attended, many science camps and conferences that furthered my interest in science. Due to these factors, I was announced as the science representative for the Governor’s STEM Team.”
Maskew graduated from Noblesville High School on June 7 with an academic honors diploma.
“I graduated summa cum laude, as well as with cords, representing my exceptional grades in the PLTW Biomedical Sciences courses and my involvement in National Honor Society,” she says.
From a young age, Maskew’s love for science was evident through her science-fair projects and conference attendance. She has attended several camps, which led to her appreciation of medical careers.
“In fifth grade I participated in Hazel Dell Elementary’s annual science fair, where I advanced to the regional competition,” she says. “From then on, I always knew I wanted to study science.”
In seventh grade, Maskew attended a conference designed for young women interested in STEM fields.
“As I progressed, I was invited to, and attended, a Clinical Applications for future Medical Professionals camp at Purdue University, as well as a Purdue pharmacy health fair,” Maskew says. “I was also invited to, and attended, the Riverview Medical Explorers camp. Throughout the many camps and conferences I was invited to, and participated in, my love for science grew. Throughout high school I took many of the science courses, including the PLTW Biomedical Sciences courses.”
Those courses were her favorites.
“They really opened my eyes to the world of science and everything it has to offer, as well as the future of science,” Maskew says. “These classes allow students to complete college-level lab activities at an earlier age, such as gel electrophoresis, bacterial colonization, polymerase chain reaction, microarray analyses, and ELISA assay tests. I think it is great that more and more women are getting involved in STEM fields, and I am grateful that I get to be a part of this change.”
Maskew interned at a CVS Pharmacy as a pharmacy technician trainee.
“At CVS Pharmacy I was able to learn basic information about a retail pharmacy, as well as see how a typical retail pharmacy is set up and organized,” she says. “I was also able to fill prescriptions by counting pills or pouring liquids. This was a great experience and a perfect introduction to my future in pharmaceutical sciences.”
Maskew has also conducted research in a PLTW Biomedical Innovations course, studying the effects of sugar concentration on the growth of gram-negative E. coli bacteria.
“We did this by growing gram-negative E. coli bacteria on agar solutions with different sugar molarities,” she says. “Calculations were completed for each agar.”
Maskew and her team then streaked the E. coli bacteria on each plate of agar and incubated the petri dishes.
“After 24 hours, and then 48 hours, we observed the petri dishes and recorded our results,” Maskew says. “My PLTW Medical Interventions and PLTW Biomedical Innovations teacher, Caitlyn Foye, was a great help and influence on our research project, and was very encouraging.”
Maskew is looking forward to a career in science.
“In the fall I will be attending Purdue University to study pharmaceutical sciences,” she says. “Purdue University is ranked in the top-10 pharmacy programs in the nation. I have been admitted to the pre-pharmacy learning community, where I will live in a residence hall filled with other freshman studying pre-pharmacy. I also hope to join many of the pharmacy-related clubs that Purdue University has to offer. I hope to undergo Purdue’s six-year program, meaning after six years I will have obtained a doctorate of pharmacy. As of now I intend on focusing on research pharmacy.”
Sponsored by Kluth Richardson Family & Cosmetic Dentistry: kluthrichardsondental.com
