OUTSTANDING STUDENT

PEOPLE

Julia Dumont Dumont

Tavares Middle School student puts her love student puts her love of science to work. of science to work.

INTERVIEWER: THERESA CAMPBELL PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL

She won first place in engineering at the Lake County Science Fair by creating a flashing light bar for school buses. Made of a 7-foot PVC pipe and equipped with two 2 1/2-foot flashing LED bars and an additional stop sign, the device is designed to put extra lights on school buses so cars will stop as they are supposed to do by law. Julia interviewed a longtime Lake County bus driver for her research.

VITALSTATS

• Born: Port Charlotte.

• Parents: Paul and Martha Dumont.

• Age: 11. • Age: 11. • School: Sixth-grader at • School: Sixth-grader at

Tavares Middle School. Tavares Middle School.

What I enjoyed most about

this project: this project: I loved building the actual light bar. actual light bar.

When I grow up, I want to be:

Aerospace engineer for SpaceX. My heroes: My mom and dad. One word that describes me: Kind. Best advice I’ve been given: The sky

is not the limit if you are reaching for is not the limit if you are reaching for the stars. the stars.

If I could meet any celebrity or

historical person, it would be: Elon historical person, it would be:

Musk and/or Stephen Hawking. Musk and/or Stephen Hawking.

Additional honors

• She won first place at

Astatula Elementary

School’s Science Fair in third, fourth, and fifth grades. • She has been on a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) team since third grade, and her team won a competition last year.

• Julia’s VEX Robotics team won a state competition and was invited, based on its STEM research video, to the world competition, • She has been on a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) team where it placed 29th out of 82 in teamwork for its division. since third grade, and her • She earned straight team won a competition A’s throughout last year. elementary school.

• Julia’s VEX Robotics team won a state competition and was invited, based on its STEM research video, to the world competition, where it placed 29th out of 82 in teamwork for its division.

• She earned straight

A’s throughout elementary school.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Julia was inspired to make the flashing light bar for school buses because: she saw news reports of kids school buses because: she saw news reports of kids being injured or killed because people do not see the being injured or killed because people do not see the stop signs on the bus, and they do not stop to let stop signs on the bus, and they do not stop to let the kids cross the road. What is important to me: Family,

friends, and school. friends, and school.

What I would tell fellow students:

Don’t let anything get in the way of doing what you love. Always believe in yourself, what you love. Always believe in yourself, even when no one else does. even when no one else does. My favorite food: Fruit.

What I want to be doing 10 years

from now: from now: Attending college at MIT. What makes me happy: Spending

time with my family, friends, and time with my family, friends, and in nature. in nature.

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