Michael Potanin ‘22 

As a senior in the class of 2022, I’ve always been curious to learn more about science and its real-life applications. I’ve challenged myself to an advanced STEM track at school, which was valuable during the last few years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve taken AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism, AP Calculus AB and BC, and Cellular Biology. 
Outside of science studies, I enjoy spending time with friends playing squash, jazz piano, mountain biking, and going to sports events. I enjoy reading books and the Financial Times newspaper at home and love traveling with my family and spending time with my brother.
 
My motivation to study CRISPR/Cas9 stems from when I learned about my medical condition. While pursuing the IRP studies, I was accepted to the highly competitive two-year Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Mentorship Program. My projects focus on optimizing the insertion efficiency of AAV CRISPR vectors, a

I plan to continue my academic interests by pursuing Biomedical Engineering Studies at Johns Hopkins University. I’m incredibly grateful to all Hackley teachers, staff, leadership, and especially Dr. Ying, who inspired and enabled me to learn and prepare for the future.

Competitions
Presented at: Westchester Science and Engineering Fair 2021 + 2022, Tri-County Science Fair 2021, New York State Science and Engineering Fair 2022
Awards won: 4th Place in Category at Westchester Science and Engineering Fair 202l, 2nd Place in Category at New York State Science and Engineering Fair 2022