Taylor Meyer of Stratford High School in Houston, TX has been honored with the 2016 NSHSS Earth Day Award. Taylor acted as the organizer when she and a group of classmates from her Academy of Science and Engineering class banded together to endeavor to build 200 solar-powered, portable lanterns to send to an underserved village in Nuevo Cañete, Peru. Taylor asked each group member to raise two hundred dollars. After compiling resources and efforts, Taylor and her classmates installed solar panels and energy-efficient LED lights onto 200 jars. Taylor is a four-year member of the Student Council, a member of the National Technical Honor Society, and the president of Health Occupation Students of America. National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

1. The National Society of High School Scholars
Learn. Lead. Change the World.
www.nshss.org

2. Earth Day Award
Taylor Meyer Q&As

3. Taylor Meyer, Houston, Texas
Stratford High School, 2016

4. Taylor Meyer, Houston, Texas
Stratford High School, 2016
Taylor acted as the organizer when she and a group of classmates from her Academy of
Science and Engineering class banded together to endeavor to build 200 solar-powered,
portable lanterns to send to an underserved village in Nuevo Cañete, Peru. Taylor asked each
group member to raise two hundred dollars. After compiling resources and efforts, Taylor and
her classmates installed solar panels and energy-efficient LED lights onto 200 jars. Taylor is a
four-year member of the Student Council, a member of the National Technical Honor Society,
and the president of Health Occupation Students of America.

5. 1. Tell us about how you became interested in
building solar-powered, portable lanterns and
sending them to underserved villages.

6. 1. Tell us about how you became interested in
building solar-powered, portable lanterns and
sending them to underserved villages.
I learned about the impoverished villagers in Nuevo Canete,
Peru from my friend’s mission trip to Peru. Just to hear
her describe the one bedroom houses they were living in
without the luxuries we take for granted was so humbling
that I decided I needed to give back.

7. 2. If there were one thing you could predict about the future of science, what would it be?

8. 2. If there were one thing you could predict about the future of science, what would it be?
The evolution of energy as alternative energy not only becomes more advanced and efficient, but affordable as well. I predict
the switch to renewables as science evolves and we changed the old reliance on dinosaurs that died millions of years ago.

9. 3. If there were one thing you could
have in the classroom that you don’t
currently, what would it be?

10. 3. If there were one thing you could
have in the classroom that you don’t
currently, what would it be?
Research time, having the ability to explore and
experiment with the subject outside from what the
teacher dictates would leave so much more room
for discovery intellectually. I would love to look up
unique stories in history or discoveries in physics to
better fully understand the subject.

11. 4. Tell us about your favorite teacher,
how have they supported or inspired
you?

12. 4. Tell us about your favorite teacher,
how have they supported or inspired
you?
My favorite teacher has been my Health Occupation
Students of America Teacher, Sean Plake. This
teacher has constantly encouraged all of his
students to achieve and with his positivity, and
constantly reminded us that he was “glad we got to
see him today”. He helped me explore my interest
in the medical field and made learning about the
human anatomy fun as he presented new ways to
learn the material and interactive lesson.

13. 5. How has NSHSS played a role
in your academic career?

14. 5. How has NSHSS played a role
in your academic career?
NSHSS has constantly pushed me to
keep striving for success, having a
support group behind me such as NSHSS
reminded me that there were others
alongside the journey with me.

15. 6. What is your fondest or
memory related to your Earth
Day Project?

16. 6. What is your fondest or
memory related to your Earth
Day Project?
My fondest moment would include the
process of creating the lights in the
blistering Houston heat of my friend’s
garage. The process was difficult
manufacturing the lights and by the end
we had a mess of sheared plastics, more
than six fans,and lemonade pitchers
scattered all around us. However, the
end result of being able to help so many
less fortunate than us was more than
rewarding of our little sacrifice and helped
me learn the importance of giving back.

17. 7. Where do you see yourself in
10 years?

18. 7. Where do you see yourself in
10 years?
In 10 years I see myself on the cutting
edge of a research team designing
more sustainable alternative energies.
Alternative energy is what drives many of
my passions and thus doing this project
not only helped others but furthered my
own interests in advancing the alternative
energy world.

19. 8. What do you plan to study in
college?

20. 8. What do you plan to study in
college?
I plan to study chemical engineering so
that I may perhaps design solutions to the
world’s current energy problem.

21. 9. What do you hope for this
year’s incoming High School
Freshman class?

22. 9. What do you hope for this
year’s incoming High School
Freshman class?
I hope this year’s incoming High
School Freshman class will take a
optimistic and motivated outlook to
the next four years of high school.
What you put into your time at high
school is what you get out of it, so
the more effort used will reap the
greatest rewards.

23. 10. Outside of your environmental
advocacy involvement, what has been
your favorite / most enjoyable aspect of
high school?

24. 10. Outside of your environmental
advocacy involvement, what has been
your favorite / most enjoyable aspect of
high school?
My most enjoyable aspect of high school has been
my Academy of Science and Engineering club. This
club has been a course that has constantly pushed
me to think not only harder but more creatively
when faced with creating solutions. What you put
into your time at high school is what you get out
of it, so the more effort used will reap the greatest
rewards.

25. 11. What do you do to stay
organized / focused?

26. 11. What do you do to stay
organized / focused?
To stay organized and focused I use an
agenda. My most prized possession, I use
my agenda to write down all of my goals I
have to achieve before the end of the day
and it helps me focus on what is important.

27. 12. How do you relax? What’s your favorite hobby?

28. 12. How do you relax? What’s your favorite hobby?
My favorite hobby is photography, I have Canon TI-84 Rebel that I take around with me everywhere. Capturing life’s little moments is
one the most breathtaking things in the world as a moment of time is capture in an instant. When looking at photographs I am taken
back to the scene they were created in and even if they were artificial, I can still appreciate the thought and effort that surrounds their
composure.

29. 13. Do you have a motto? If so, what is it?

30. 13. Do you have a motto? If so, what is it?
“Dream as if you’ live forever. Live as if you’ll die today”.

31. For more information:
Contact Us: (866) 343-1800
Visit: www.nshss.org