Schools

Meet Manasa Bhatta, This Week's Whiz Kid

Manasa is a junior at Chattahoochee High School.

Wednesday's Whiz Kid: Manasa Bhatta

Grade: 11

School: Chattahoochee High School

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Accomplishments: Manasa Bhatta was recently selected as a regional finalist in the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition, the nation’s premier public health research competition for high school students.  This April 15-18 she was in Washington D.C. to present her research to public health experts and compete for scholarships.

Manasa researched the effects of marianismo – beliefs held by some traditionalist Hispanic women emphasizing sexual purity – and if these beliefs could be an unexplored reason why Hispanic women have higher rates of cervical cancer as these women may avoid pap smear screenings.

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Manasa handed out surveys to Hispanic women at a metro health clinic. She found that marianismo indeed had a significant correlation to pap smear screening rates. “My project has potential in shedding light on new methods of cervical cancer education to enhance the number of women that obtain pap smear screening today,” Manasa said.

Manasa, 17, is a member of the National Honors Society, Science Olympiad and Green School. She placed second in the Georgia Science Fair and first in the state National Spanish Exam. She speaks Spanish and Kannada, an Indian dialect. She hopes to become a pediatrician.

Each week Patch highlights a great kid in our community. To nominate that outstanding student, athlete or all-around star, e-mail ann.quill@patch.com.


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