Aimee Echeverria Harnesses Potential

When Aimee Echeverria gets an idea, she thinks big. That’s what happened last fall when the Vero Beach High School junior decided to create Gallop for Science, a biotechnology program for Fellsmere Elementary School fifth graders. She not only developed the curriculum, she designed a format that was engaging and fun.

Aimee’s enthusiasm bubbles up as she describes how it all came about. “My dad’s the principal at Fellsmere Elementary, a dual-language school because it’s about 90 percent Hispanic. Ever since I was little I’ve been going out there, and I knew they didn’t have programs like some of the other schools do, so I started thinking about how I could help expand these kids’ horizons.

“I’m in a biotechnology class, which is really a big deal to be part of because we’re the only school around that has a high-tech lab,” Aimee explains. “Jeff Bush, my teacher, has always been supportive of creating anything that has to do with science, and he liked my idea, so, knowing that the Fellsmere school mascot is a Mustang, I came up with Gallop for Science.

“Obviously we couldn’t involve the whole school, so between me, my dad, who everyone calls ‘Mr. E,’ and the teachers, we felt it would be best to choose students in the fifth grade.

“I made a video introducing myself and the program, and I had a form for the students to fill out if they were interested. Seventy signed up! They weren’t just trying to get out of class; they really wanted to be a part of it!”

Out of the 70, her father and the teachers selected 15. Aimee wrote a welcome letter, and she and five classmates—Tori Malone, Samantha Baudo, Areana Neil, Andrew Yousefi, and Darryl Carter—formed a team and created a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation that included information about job opportunities in the biotechnology field. Next, Aimee had T-shirts made with the Gallop for Science logo.

“When the students got here, we had them put on the white lab coats,” says Aimee. “They loved wearing them; they were so wide-eyed, so little, so cute. I’m planning to do the program again next year and hope it continues after I’m gone.”

Jeff Bush agrees. “This was the first year for Gallop for Science, with the intention of starting a tradition that will be continued even after Aimee graduates. She’s a special student. I just guided her through the process; she and her teammates did all the work.”

Aimee not only shared her love of science with the fifth graders, she shared her love of soccer. She joined the Panamanian women’s under-20 soccer team this past January, competing against Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. “My father’s from Panama and I got a dual citizenship. It was great. I learned so much.”

As for the future, Aimee again thinks big: “I really want to attend Duke. The school is No. 1
when it comes to science and soccer. That’s where I want to be in two years.” She’s well on her way.