What do a public health advocate, CEO and quantum physicist have in common? Besides all being high school seniors, these individuals are members of the Regeneron STS 2021 class. Among their myriad interests lies the motivation to leave an impact in their community, whether it be through conducting outreach and fundraising on a global scale, improving their environment through youth activism or creating space for the next generation of scientists to thrive. Take a look at some of the causes championed by this year’s finalists! Laalitya Acharya William Mason High School (Mason, Ohio) Move over Alexa! Laalitya Acharya’s AI tech is solving the world’s water crisis one drop at a time. As the founder of the Nereid Project, Laalitya’s innovation detects contamination in water that may cause waterborne disease. By implementing new methods of water testing, building awareness, research and education, she hopes to make clean water a reality for people everywhere. She says, “I have worked with hundreds of students and people in my area to help teach them about the importance of water and how we can do our part to help alleviate this crisis.”