Austin ISD superintendent tells students: 'Make your mark'

The Austin Energy Regional Science Festival ended two weeks ago, with more than 600 middle and high school students and more than 2,000 elementary school students participating. A representative from the science fair encouraged attendees to participate in the next fair and introduced Jack Andraka, a student scientist who won first place for his science fair project—a paper sensor that can detect pancreatic cancer in minutes—at the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Andraka described his first science fair in middle school as a "Hunger Games"-esque challenge where students competed to win prizes including laptops.

"At the beginning it was me going for the laptop. I mean, any kid would go for the laptop. But at the end, it was me going for the thrill of doing scientific discovery," he said.

After a close family friend died of pancreatic cancer when Andraka was 13, he began researching how that cancer is detected and learned the current method was an $800 test that had not been updated in the past 60 years.

"Armed with ninth grade biology, I decided to go out and change cancer diagnostics," he said.

Carstarphen said Andraka's extraordinary contributions to education and humanity set the example for students here.

"We have such an incredible opportunity right here in Austin," she said. "This is one of the most amazing cities to live and work in in the world."