Paul Benecki
Paul Benecki grew up in Portland, Oregon, and attended a very good high school in the southwest corner of the city. His science teachers made an especially strong impression on him, and it was with their assistance that he obtained a scholarship from the Telluride Association allowing him to attend Cornell University. At Cornell, he started out as a Government major, but he is now a senior undergraduate in chemistry and a member of the Cornell Presidential Research Scholars program, and administrative program providing funding and support for undergraduate research. He will be coordinating a program for 18 academically talented high school juniors at Washington University in St. Louis in the summer of 2007, and is planning to apply with Teach For America when he returns to Cornell in the fall for a 9th semester. Ultimately, he would like to teach high school chemistry.

Margaret Anderson Lesch
Margaret grew up outside of Philadelphia with her two younger siblings, Conor and Kendre. An athlete and scholar, she attended Lower Merion High School and was an enthusiastic track member. Lower Merion was also where she was introduced to chemistry, a passion that was provoked not only by the subject matter, but by some exceptional teachers as well. With support from both of her parents and her fiancee, Phil, Margaret is currently studying chemistry and education at Cornell University. She hopes to one day inspire students to learn and love this subject that she finds so fascinating.

Adam Fleisher
Adam Fleisher was raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he attended Arlington High School and was actively involved in the track team and the school marching band. As a high school student his interest in science and math was strengthened by several great teachers. With the support of his family and the IBM Thomas J. Watson Scholarship, Adam earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Cornell University. His research in chemistry has led him to Australia and back, and he is currently pursuing a master's degree in teaching at Cornell. He would like to pass on his love of science to his future students.