LSMSA students Kushal Upadhyay (’24) of Leesville and Ryan Le (’24) of Lafayette will spend the summer participating in the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM)’s Mentorship/Student Research and Innovation Program (SRIP). For six weeks, the students will research at the Swanstrom Lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, focusing on HIV-1’s pathogenesis, transmission, and evolution.
Each year, generous donations to the LSMSA Foundation cover registration, attendance, travel, and meal costs for two LSMSA students to attend this program based on recommendations from the science department. Last year, Pooja Garlapati (’23) of West Monroe and Joy Dong (’23) of Lake Charles used their research at NCSSM as the basis for their presentations during Blue & Gold Week, allowing them to graduate with distinction in May.
LSMSA is an internationally ranked tuition-free, residential, public high school for high-achieving rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a nominal room and board fee to cover housing, meals, and campus activities. The LSMSA Foundation offers assistance for families in need to ensure no eligible student is denied the school’s living/learning experience. For more information about the Louisiana School or to apply for the 2023-24 school year, visit www.LSMSA.edu.
