Kelaney Stalker wants to provide a conclusive, inexpensive, noninvasive test for endometriosis and is studying how to use methylation to diagnose endometriosis through a blood sample.

Nazanin Paymard initiated a modest fundraising effort, aiming to purchase laptops and tablets to send to the children in Afghanistan, allowing for virtual instruction, and continues to teach classes online to young women in the region.

Abbie Sanders emphasizes her studies in nonprofit management and wants to provide special training for therapists, teaching them the necessary skills to help those with intellectual disabilities.

Chad Hyer aims to pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering and would like to develop new approaches to sustainability by generating a generally accessible, equitable, and affordable recycling solution that can bridge gaps in sustainability.

Chris Barrientos wants to inspire the younger generation to lead by recruiting successful entrepreneurs in local school districts to teach and mentor students in high schools. 

Aidan Quigley sees potential in BYU's Record Linking Lab (RLL) and wants to expand it to create economic opportunity in disadvantaged communities globally by hiring, training, and qualifying people before connecting them to the emerging AI market.

In high school, I developed a vicious cognitive demon: anorexia. This mental usurper and dictator of choice sent me into a spiral of debilitating anxiety, depression, and eroding existence; my heart had physically weakened, shrunk, and shifted out of place, my straw-like hair fell out, sitting was painful because of my protruding tailbone, my blued, coarse nails, sunken eyes, and bulging bones displayed more death than life. I was desperate and almost hopeless…

For me, growing up in a war-torn Colombia meant turning the TV on every night at 7 p.m. to find out how many children were abducted and forcibly enlisted by military groups, or how many people had been killed in rural communities simply for being born in regions where external forces determined their fate. After years of listening to this devastating news play over and over again, the sheer number of victims of these atrocities was impressed on my mind…

I’ve been to a lot of parties, but I’ve only been to one where I found out I was virtually blind in one eye. When I was about five years old, my brother had a pirate-themed birthday party, and when my mom came to put on my pirate eye patch, I told her to put it over my left eye, because if she put it over my right one, I wouldn’t be able to see. This launched me into years of eye doctor appointments, wearing patches (over my good eye this time), and getting used to glasses…

The day a baby is born is supposed to be the most joyful day of a parent’s life. After hours of labor the baby is cleaned, wrapped in a blanket, and placed on the mother’s chest as the nurses congratulate the happy parents on the incredible feat of bringing a child into the world. However, the day I was born looked nothing like this. The nurse who cleaned me up noticed something in the top of my mouth – or rather, she noticed a lack of something in the top of my mouth…

I’m on the Dean’s List. Again. My planner is usually packed with meticulous notes detailing my various academic goals. My transcript is nearly flawless. But all of this has come at a cost. Each semester, I’ve sacrificed hobbies, fun, and time with my family to achieve my idea of happiness: academic perfection. Despite my best efforts, my high GPA hasn’t improved my happiness; it’s killed it…

You don't need to wait to change the world. Regardless of your major, friend group, or future ambitions, you can have real impact and literally change the world — today! My great uncle and namesake, Captain Robert Alan Rex, was shot down in Laos during the Vietnam War in 1968, leaving a spouse and two children behind. Robert was missing in action for more than 25 years. After her son went missing, my great-grandmother, Pearl Rex, became a champion of abused…

The summer after fourth grade, clinical depression hit me like a heavyweight boxer. My normally vivacious, inquisitive self was knocked out, leaving little Sarah entirely hollow. Anxiety filled the void, a possessive coach whose constant companionship provided nothing but loneliness. After a season of spending recess alone inside and emotionally crashing after school every day, I learned skills to fight my mental illness back…

Driving up to a weathered brown apartment building in South Salt Lake, Khinhla, Win Tae, and their brothers rolled down the windows excitedly as I turned up the music. Shattering the silence, we got out and started dancing to the radio. As if anticipating our arrival, the front doors of the apartments facing us swung open and Burmese refugee mothers smiled as their children darted past to join us…

In 2015, I returned from an LDS Mission in Kobe, Japan and struggled to find meaning in my day-to-day classes and job at Chik-Fil-A. While nuggets and honey mustard were delicious, I wanted to do something that brought about social good. On a particularly busy week, I remember feeling like I really couldn’t make myself fry another chicken patty. My job felt unfulfilling, and I wanted to do more. I promised myself that if I quit - I would find something meaningful to do…

Headed to school on another regular day, I saw first responder vehicles blocking off a whole street near my home. Glancing as I passed, I couldn’t see what had happened, though it had obviously been a fatal accident. As I got to school, the hustle and bustle of class, homework, and friends consumed my attention and I forgot all about the accident— that is, until second period when the school police officer and counselor escorted me from class to the office…

During lunch in middle school and high school there was always the gathering of like-minded groups: those that loved to talk about video games, those that were theater fanatics, and those that were athletes. For one who didn’t fit any of those social constructs, I floated for years hoping one day to be surrounded by people that I can relate with. It was a difficult time for me, but I learned and grew a lot. I started to notice that I had a desire to make the world a better place…

When I walked into an info session for a Ballard Center Social Innovation Case Competition, I had only planned on enjoying a free J Dawg- replete with banana peppers and drizzled with its iconic special sauce - then trekking back to the library to finish my homework. However, as I loitered long enough to not look too much the hot dog opportunist, I got hooked by an opportunity to become involved in an international development project right here on BYU campus…