Parsippany College Student A Semi-Finalist For $250K Scholarship

PARSIPPANY, NJ—Parsippany resident Ria Balli, who attends Carnegie Mellon University, was among 30 semifinalists competing for a $250,000 scholarship as part of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science video contest.

The contest, which received about 5,600 entries from all over the world, asked students to submit engaging, imaginative three-minute videos to demonstrate difficult scientific concepts and theories. Submissions ranged from the COVID-19 virus's structure to quantum tunneling.

“The quality of the videos this year is extremely high,” said Julia Milner, co-founder of the Breakthrough Prize. “It’s really thrilling to see young people communicating these big ideas with such intelligence, as well as freshness and creativity.” (You can see all the entries here.)

Balli, whose video centers on machine learning, said she entered the contest on a whim, with the aim of being a better video editor and presenter. But she soon found that she was onto something.

"When I created my video," Balli said, "my goal was to propagate the idea that anyone can solve any problem or learn any subject with enough willpower and inspiration."

The 30 semifinalists will compete the popular vote contest until Sunday, September 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The public can vote for their favorite semifinalist on the Breakthrough Facebook page. The video with the highest number of combined likes, positive reactions and shares will be declared top scorer.

The top scorer will progress to the final round of the competition, bypassing the next round of judging and entering the running for overall Challenge winner, announced in November.

For Balli, winning would mean more than just a generous scholarship.

"Winning this challenge would mean that my message would reach more young students who are struggling to find their place in the world of STEM," said Balli. "I know how daunting and overwhelming it may seem to tackle a subject like machine learning. But with the right support and resources, anything is possible."