Samantha Leggieri

High School Graduation Year: 2025
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2018
Sponsored by: The Kahlert Foundation

Samantha Leggieri is a five-time recognized Carson scholar who first received the award as a fifth grader in 2018. Now, she is a rising sophomore at Bucknell University and is projected to graduate with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering in May 2029. One of Samantha’s notable academic achievements is making the Dean’s list at Bucknell University.

So far, Samantha has had the opportunity to take some interesting courses that she has enjoyed – particularly, a variety of engineering classes as well as the Archaeology of Greece. In her engineering classes, she’s tasked with unique projects, including one that involved designing a pencil grip to help create a more comfortable way for students with dysgraphia (a learning disability that causes difficulty with writing) to apply pressure to their pencils. Other class projects included creating a prototype of an acoustic spirometer to aid in respiratory disease detection and designing a water filtration system for a theoretical space trip. Samantha says, “Engineering allows me to solve problems; biomedical engineering lets me use those solutions to help people.”

Outside of class, Samantha is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Biomedical Engineering Society. She interns with the Frederick National Laboratory. During her internship she observed images from a microscope of cells and was able to identify the nuclei and plasma membranes.

Professional development aside, Samantha enjoys listening to music, watching hockey, playing video games and reading. Her favorite song is “Atlas Falls” by Shinedown and she loves watching the Washington Capitals. Her favorite book is Animal Farm by George Orwell, and she likes to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.