2 Ossining HS Students Among Nation's Top 300 Teen Scientists

OSSINING, NY — Two Ossining High School seniors have secured their places among the best of the best.

From the Ossining Union Free School District.

Congratulations to Ossining High School seniors Summerville Beckford and Natalie Partridge, who were both named Regeneron Scholars on January 7, 2026. They are among 300 seniors from around the country to receive the honor from the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2026.

"We are so proud of these two outstanding Science Research students," said Ossining High School's Science Research teachers Valerie Holmes and Ariadne Prior-Grosch. "This exciting recognition is testament to their hard work and exceptional dedication."

SEE ALSO: 23 Hudson Valley Students Named Regeneron Scholars

Ossining High School's three-year Science Research program helped the students discover their core interests, strengthen their abilities and build confidence that will carry them forward beyond the program.

Both students' Science Research projects started in a personal place.

"I am an athlete; I play soccer and am a goalkeeper," said Summerville. "In a split second I can be in an extremely stressful situation."

When he learned that perceiving stress as a positive thing could have beneficial psychological and physiological responses, he knew he had a topic he could dig into. Folding in virtual reality gave added depth and complexity to his study.

"I've always loved to read," said Natalie. "I wanted to see what benefits it has. I wondered if reading influences empathy."

Mentors helped the students formalize their inquiries and do scientifically sound research.

Summerville worked with mentor Matthew A. Stults-Kolehmainen, Ph.D., Adjunct Associate Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University Graduate School of Education, Health & Psychology, on the project "Immersive Virtual Reality Paired with a Stress Mindset Intervention Improves Stress Management in Adolescents."

Natalie worked with mentor Amanda Reeves Fellner, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Teaching, Teachers College, Columbia University Graduate School of Education, Health & Psychology, on the project "Reading Interventions Foster Prosocial Behavior Development in Young Children."

Despite logistical and time management obstacles, both students found the Science Research experience to be profoundly empowering.

"I came so far. It's amazing to me to see all that I’ve accomplished," said Summerville.

He said that the most interesting part of his project was analyzing the data. "I loved it. I plan to study data analysis in college."

"My favorite part of the process was interacting with the participants in my study," said Natalie, who read to young children in an afterschool program in Ossining. "I want to study cognitive science in college. I learned that if you care about what you are doing, you can put the hard work into it."

The Regeneron Science Talent Search marks the beginning of the Science Research competition season.

Seniors will compete in the Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (WESEF), the New York State Science and Engineering Fair (NYSSEF) and the UAlbany in the High School Science Research Invitational Symposium. Sophomores will present their research at the Somers Science Fair. Regeneron plans to announce 40 finalists on January 21 to compete in March. After that, a public exhibition of the projects is scheduled for March 8 with the winners announced March 10.

This press release was produced by the Ossining Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.