The sequence of events that led to Selam Bulti moving to Washington, DC started with her winning the Ethiopian American National Spelling Bee competition. After the competition, she and her mother were able to get a visa to move to the District, but her father and siblings remained in her home country of Ethiopia. After moving to DC, she enrolled at McKinley Technology High School and joined the school’s Biotechnology program, which she has loved. Through the program, she gained hands-on experience in her lab classes and had the opportunity to apply what she learned in the classroom during an internship with the Department of Forensic Science’s public health lab. “We learned about the technologies and methodologies they use to keep the city safe,” says Selam. Outside of the classroom, Selam is a member of the school’s Electric Vehicle club, which recently won the Electric Vehicle Grand-Prix with Selam behind the wheel. “I did the last heat, which is the best part of it because at first you have to conserve energy, and in the end you can go as fast as you can.” Selam says the race was the culmination of a year of teamwork after fixing cars almost every day after school and testing them on the school’s track. When Selam enrolls at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this fall, she says she is excited to pursue both her interest in engineering and her passion for medicine. Selam says that her courses at McKinley Tech, including AP Calculus BC taught by Ms. Stoica, have prepared her to independently take on the challenges of college courses. “A lot of people can find calculus challenging, but because of her energy, it’s always a fun class to be in.” #DCPSGoesToCollege
