PITTSBURGH — Motivated. Determined. Intelligent.

These are three words that could be used to describe Loyalsock High School seniors Emma Strickland and Harris Khan, who got the chance to participate in this summer’s Pa. Governor’s School for the Sciences program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

The program accepts at least one junior student from each district after they complete a strenuous application process — one that is similar to applying for college, according to Janet Herwitz, secretary of the board of directors of the PGSS campaign.

According to the PGSS website, the application has four parts: personal data, essays, recommendation letters and the student’s transcript.

“It is a very motivated process,” Herwitz said.

Additionally, the cost of the program is covered, taking the financial burden off of students and their families and putting the college-like experience and admiration for STEM at the forefront.

“Our school counselor sent out an email [about the program] and reading through it, it sounded like something I was interested in,” Strickland said. “I am really interested in STEM and science. It sounded like it would be really good for my future.”

The students got the chance to take core STEM classes, elective classes, labs and participate in a research project, paper and presentation.

“It was a breakthrough opportunity for me,” Khan said.

He added that he hadn’t previously had a lot of opportunities to participate in STEM and research, learning about the advancements in clinical and medical sciences. He expressed excitement about getting to “take part in research in that field.”

Khan got to participate in organic chemistry, particle level physics and pharmaceutical sciences, and focused his research project on pain medication in a clinical aspect.

“They were very interesting courses,” he said. “We were able to develop our own [research] question and design our own procedure…It was a great experience. I have never had anything like it before.”

Strickland also focused on medical sciences by taking neuroscience and microbiota classes, focusing on mental health, addiction and neuro-degenerative diseases.

The overall experience was the students’ first introduction to what college life might be like for them.

“We had to find ways to be able to do our homework, labs…we would study together, have some late nights,” Strickland said. “We wouldn’t have made it through if we didn’t have the support from the group, the TAs and professors along the way.”

Aside from academics, students would go out to eat together on the weekends, visit Pittsburgh museums and watch movies in the auditorium.

“It was a taste of college,” Strickland said.

“It added to the overall experience…going to see museums and restaurants,” Khan added.

Both Strickland and Khan will be taking the lessons they have learned at the program with them as they embark on their senior year at Loyalsock High School.

“The biggest thing I learned is that you have to know when to ask for help and not be embarrassed or ashamed,” Strickland said. “It is OK to lean on other people, it helps with your learning and finding good support. It is a useful resource in high school and definitely will help you in the long run.”

“It was very good in that [the program] lended a stress-free, collaborative learning environment,” Khan said. “Opportunities like that should be more available to students and I am glad to be a part of it.”