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Virtual bonding among the Regeneron STS 2021 finalists

By Wendy Li

Regeneron STS 2021 finalists pictured with competition banner
Pictured: Tali Finger, Edgar Sosa, Katherine Tung, Michael Gomez, Eshani Jha, Noah Getz and Rebecca Monge.

The virtual Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021 was not all work and no play. While all 40 finalists participated in a rigorous judging process, the Society for Science also wanted to ensure that this competition week would be unlike any other virtual event they have attended in the past year. The fun-filled finals week schedule included a wide-range of activities to help finalists get to know each other better and make lifelong friends — something alumni often remember as being the highlight of their STS experiences. When the students were not busy fulfilling their judging requirements, they were able to partake in:

  • Daily movement breaks to get up and out of their seats.
  • Show and tell events where finalists had an opportunity to host a game or show off a hobby.
  • A team building exercise for students to work with each other and with professional team builders to solve challenges.
  • A virtual escape room in which the Regeneron STS 2021 finalists successfully conquered.
  • A talent show that featured students excelling in activities beyond science research.
  • And even a TikTok dance class!

Here’s a look at how this year’s Regeneron STS finalists bonded with one another.

Regeneron STS 2021 teambuiling exercise
Regeneron STS 2021 finalists Laalitya Acharya, Justin Xu and Dasia Taylor participate in a teambuilding exercise.
Regeneron STS 2021 escape room zoom grid
Students celebrate their escape room victory.
Regeneron STS 2021 talent show zoom grid screenshot
Vetri Vel (pictured above) and Eshani Jha (pictured below) show off their musical talents.
Regeneron STS 2021 tiktok dance zoom grid
Students learn popular TikTok dances.
Regeneron STS 2021 goat movement break zoom grid
One of the movement breaks featured special guests: goats on a farm in the United Kingdom.
Regeneron STS 2021 paint night zoom grid
Regeneron STS 2021 finalists participate in a virtual paint night.
Regeneron STS 2021 paint night selfies grid
Pictured from Paint Night: Eleanor Sigrest, Akhilesh Balasingam, Amy Zhou, Timothy Qian, Lucy Zha and Wenjun Hou.

Wendy Li