Alia Toth-Smith, an incoming sophomore at Benicia High School, will be attending the 2017 Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston from June 29 to July 1. (Photo courtesy of Pat-Toth Smith)

At 15 years old, Alia Toth-Smith has already made splashes in the world. The Benicia High School sophomore will attend the 2017 Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston from June 28 to July 1.
Toth-Smith was adopted from China at an early age and has lived in Benicia for most her life. She thinks the best part of Benicia might be the city’s small town vibe and could not imagine growing up anywhere else. When attending school, Toth-Smith sayid she enjoyed studying math the most.
“It’s really interesting to have a challenge every day,” Smith said. “It’s not like you’re having to memorize it. It’s more like you’re finding out concepts to use to solve problems even if they are theoretical. I love the whole mystery of it.”
The Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders has been around since the program was chartered in 2014. The National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists, the organization that runs the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders, said in a press release that the purpose of this event, “is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be scientists and technologists, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.”
“This is a crucial time in America when we need more nimble-minded and creative scientists and technologists who are even better prepared for a world that is changing exponentially,” Executive Director Richard Rossi said in a statement.
Only honor students or those with a high grade point averages can be nominated to attend the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders.
Dr. John C. Mather, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics and Science, nominated Toth-Smith to to represent California based on her academic career and achievements.
Toth-Smith first heard about the program after she was sent a letter in the mail. After she opened and read the letter, Toth-Smith and her mother thought it would be a great experience to attend the event and applied for it.
“We thought it would be a great importunity to see all these speakers,” she said.
When she was accepted into the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders, Smith said she was very initially surprised because she did not think she was significant enough at her school to get the honor to attend the Congress. It took a while for her to fully accept what was happening, but after she embraced it, Toth-Smith said she began planning for the event.
According to Toth-Smith, learning how the speakers at the Congress got to where they are in their careers will be what most interests her.
“I am also looking forward to some of the women speakers there,” Toth-Smith said. “I am very curious to see how they dealt with the discrimination against women in the field of science.”
Attending the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders will be Toth-Smith’s first time in Boston, but it won’t her first time on the East Coast. While in Boston, Smith plans to go sight-seeing.
“I am really curious to see what exactly are the big things to see around there,”Toth-Smith said. “We’re going to do some research and see what we should really go see in our short time in Boston.”

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