Burdhimo says she’s ‘pretty good at math’
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Many high school seniors are just beginning to get serious about what lies ahead after graduation. One township student has been dedicating her time and attention to her future for years. Since middle school, Ceili Burdhimo – a shy but serious student by all accounts – has been following a clear trajectory toward a career in science and math. Earlier this winter, she was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an early admissions student for the 2012-2013 school year.
Currently ranked as the top student in her senior class of approximately 640 students, Burdhimo said she plans to study aerospace engineering at the school. MIT was recently ranked one of the world’s most prestigious universities, according to a survey conducted by Times Higher Education magazine. “It’s pretty awesome,” she said of her acceptance. “I’ve wanted to go there for a long while.”
According to Principal Brett Charleston, “Ceili Burdhimo is one of those special students that comes around once every 10 years.
“She epitomizes a 21st century student, as she excels in academics, athletics, and perhaps most importantly, she volunteers to help other students through National Honor Society and the Senior Ambassador program,” said Charleston. “She will represent EHT HS and the community well going forward.”
This past summer, Burdhimo was selected as one of the paid interns at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. During the eight-week program, she worked alongside Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, a deputy mission system engineer.
Uzo-Okoro said she was very impressed by Burdhimo and requested that she be selected for the internship again this summer. “Ceili is the most confident high school student I have ever worked with,” she said. “She easily adapted to our fast-paced environment, yet could do independent work and keep up with our long hours.”
As a female in a still male-dominated industry, Uzo-Okoro said she believes Burdhimo has what it takes to have a great career in aerospace engineering. She said Burdhimo even worked on something that made its way to the desk of the center’s director.
“This (field) is not for everyone,” she said. “It’s fast-paced. You don’t know what will happen the next day. Sometimes you have to admit that you don’t know the answer and just want to learn. She has a strong enough personality to stand up for herself, and also to be present and persistent. I think this is the place for her.”
“I like science and am pretty good at math. So I just ended up deciding engineering (as a career choice),” said Burdhimo, understating her ability a bit. This semester she is taking multivariable calculus, an online course offered through Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. As a freshman, she completed the school’s advanced placement calculus class – at the time the most challenging math course offered. Having exhausted the district’s curriculum for math, she then had to obtain special approval to conduct an independent study in lieu of a traditional math class. “I go down to the library and work there,” Burdhimo said. “I have a textbook and an instructor who I send my assignments to for grading.”
Today, the high school “finally” has an advanced placement course for calculus II, she said, even though she is beyond that level now. Burdhimo said she believes a lot of her classmates could become as proficient at math as she is. “They go so slowly through the math at school,” she said. “I don’t think they need to spend all year on algebra, for example.”
In the ninth grade, Burdhimo was accepted into the NASA’s Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience, or INSPIRE. The multi-tier year-round project is designed for students in ninth through 12th grades who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education or careers, according to its website. Through the program, students have the chance to interact with peers, NASA experts and education specialists. The participants have the opportunity to compete for grade-appropriate summer experiences, such as the internship Burdhimo earned at Goddard last summer.
The student’s flight to success started early in her academic career. According to her mother Pamela Burdhimo, her daughter has always had a talent for math and science, and began taking SAT exams in the sixth grade.
“She has always been advanced, but also is very extremely motivated,” said Pamela Burdhimo. “We are so proud of our Ceili.”
