State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Announces 2025 National Youth Science Camp Delegates

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has named two outstanding students as California’s delegates to the 62nd annual National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp).

Uzochi Orji of Murrieta (Riverside County), a senior at Murrieta Mesa High in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, and Irene L. Pan of Fullerton (Orange County), a junior at Valencia High School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, were selected for their high achievement and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).

“These two exemplary students are spearheading the future of our state in technology and industry by pursuing their interests in STEAM and are representing California as young researchers and as community leaders. I am confident they will continue to contribute meaningfully to the scientific community, to our state, and to our future,” said Thurmond. “I am immensely proud of them for their academic achievements and selection as California’s delegates to the National Youth Science Camp.”

The NYSCamp is an annual event hosted by the National Youth Science Academy (formerly known as the National Youth Science Foundation) to bring together top students from nine Western Hemisphere countries to attend lectures and participate in outdoor activities centered on STEAM disciplines. The three weeks of camp take place in the mountains of West Virginia from July 10 through August 2, 2025.

Uzochi Orji

Uzochi’s interest in science and medicine is driven by an early childhood experience with a doctor who knew little about a medical condition that predominantly affects African American children. She thus began a journey of community leadership. Uzochi began setting up community events such as Murrieta’s first Juneteenth celebration, and she has continued to raise awareness about issues such as disease that can spread on campus. Uzochi has thrived academically as she researched how biological processes work.

Uzochi has served as a member of the Murrieta City Council African American Parent Advisory Council since 2022. She served as Voting Officer for Riverside County from 2023 to 2024. Uzochi has received many honors, including the Questbridge College Prep Scholarship and the Rotary Youth Leadership Award. Her academic STEAM journey has included Biology, Medical Chemistry, Anatomy, and Advanced Placement courses in Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics, Calculus, and many more. Her ability to grasp and apply advanced scientific concepts in her studies is evidenced by her participation in the District Science Fair and other academic clubs, such as the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation.

Irene L. Pan

When a member of Irene’s family passed away from an undiagnosed disease due to a lack of resources and information in the Hmong community, she became determined to make neurodegenerative disease treatment more accessible. Driven by an insatiable curiosity across diverse academic disciplines, Irene has been an active member of the U.S. Academic Decathlon since ninth grade.

As her passion for STEAM flourished, Irene joined the Bioengineering Lab at the University of California, Riverside. There for the summer, she gained hands-on learning about cutting-edge bioengineering technologies essential to frontier research. Irene has received several STEAM awards, including a silver medal at the U.S. Medical and Disease Olympiad, and she was named the 2024 Outstanding Chemistry Student by the American Chemical Society, Orange County Section.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100