Image Source: Hun School of Princeton 

Camille Schrier (Hun School ’13) became a viral sensation when she was crowned Miss America 2020. Schrier was the first person in the organization’s 100 year history to win the famous competition based on a STEM platform. Her talent was in fact a demonstration of a chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide, sodium iodide, and dish soap. The result was a large foamy concoction which she dubbed “elephant toothpaste.”

Schrier is currently pursuing a doctorate of pharmacology at Virginia Commonwealth University and visited the Hun School in early January to speak with current students. Schrier made for an engaging guest and discussed everything from her path to Miss America, women’s leadership, drug education, the opioid crisis,  how substance abuse effects cognitive behavior, and her experiences so far in the STEM field. 

Although Schrier has found a very public forum to speak about the importance of STEM education, she told the students that they don’t need to be in a position of leadership to act like a leader. Her other advice included seeking out a college or education program that matches each students’ own individual learning style and not being afraid to test their abilities as young men or women as they are still trying to figure out how they want to make a difference in the world. Schrier confided to the high school students that everyone fears failure, but that they should still take risks when it comes to intellectual understanding.