A worldwide science competition is naming a Fort McMurray student as one of the top finalists.

Maryam Tsegaye, a grade 12 student at cole McTavish, is one of 30 teens in the running for the 2020 Breakthrough Challenge.

Competitors were tasked with explaining a tough science concept in three minutes or less on video with Tsegaye choosing quantum tunneling.

“Basically, subatomic particles, which are particles smaller than an atom, like very incessantly small have the ability to basically walk through any barriers since they behave like waves and particles at the same time,” she noted.

If Tsegaye wins, she will receive a $250,000 scholarship, while her science teacher would get a $50,000 cash prize. Her school, cole McTavish, would also benefit.

“A $100,000 state of the art science lab for the school, but that’s a while from now and we don’t know who is going to win.”

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