The United States is very lukewarm when it comes to nuclear power but one high school junior from Southern New Jersey is on a mission to change that.
16-year-old Steven Udotong is on a quest to build a nuclear fusor, an invention he hopes will help inspire a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly future for us all. In order to do so, Udotong created a GoFundMe page to raise $1500 for supplies, a goal he has such exceeded in just one month.
“I grew curious after we flew by the topic of nuclear energy in my chemistry class last year. I decided to do more research and I soon learned that I could actually make a nuclear fusor. That sparked my interest. I want people to know that there are alternate methods for obtaining power and energy. I want to examine more clean energy products and stop fearing the word “nuclear,” Steven shared in an interview on The Well, Jopwell’s Digital Magazine, with his older brother Emmanuel, a computer science student at Princeton University. “Nuclear energy is a lot safer than people think.”
This past summer, Steven was accepted into the Yale Young Global Scholar Program, which allowed him to pursue the engineering workshop at the Singapore campus. He was one of three students from New Jersey to attend. He also came to realize he would be the first black student to build a nuclear reactor. “I’m motivated knowing I’m proof that there are many ways for minorities to pursue success. Sports and music are not the only avenues for us. There’s room for us. Rather, there’s a need for us to participate in academia, business, art, law, medicine, and yes, nuclear energy. I hope this project will become an example of academic excellence as a vehicle of accomplishment for Black students.”
The first part of Steven’s invention is done but he still needs to raise a set about of money to complete it. When he’s done with that, he plans to enter it in science fairs and competition for a chance to pursue scholarship opportunities. The ultimate goal is to start a conversation on a state and federal level about more serious action towards adopting alternative energy sources.
