Commack High School Senior A Finalist in Intel Science Talent Search

A senior at Commack High School was named a finalist in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search.

Savina Kim, 17, received a phone call Tuesday night telling her she is one of the 40 semifinalists selected to move on in the search, according to a news release.

Kim was one of 1,839 high school seniors throughout the country that entered the competition, which was then , and now just 40 students remain.

"When I got the phone call last night, my heart just skipped a beat," Kim said. "This is definitely an unexpected but incredible moment. All those hundreds of hours did pay off and now I have a few crazy months ahead, but I cannot wait!"

Kim was chosen for her project, "Cognitive Deficits in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Schizophrenia Model Associated with Neuronal Alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Localization."

Kim is the first person in her family to be fully educated in the United States, according to Newsday. Her parents emigrated from South Korea when they were in their 20s. She hopes to attend Yale University and plans to study neurobiology.

Kim will head to Washington, D.C. from March 8-13 to compete for more than $630,000 in awards provided by the Intel Foundation. The top winner receives a scholarship valued at $100,000.