Yuma student wins national STEM award for eco-friendly bandage

YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — A high school student at a high school in Yuma is making a name for herself in the world of STEM.

Carmen Martinez, a student at Harvest Preparatory Academy, was named a STEM national champion for her science project. Her project not only helps heal wounds but is all-natural.

“I engineered a biodegradable band-aid. I infused it with flavonoids from basil and orange peels, and I just compared that to commercial band-aids,” she said.

Martinez said she was inspired by her childhood fascination with bandages and a desire for a more eco-friendly world.

“Why not come up with something that is all-natural and also solves the problem of pollution, allergies, and things like that,” she said.

This project earned her the national stem champion award in southern Arizona, making her one of three students in the state to receive this honor.

“Right now it hasn’t really hit me,” Martinez said.

Science teacher Alfred Santos said the STEM program at Harvest Prep has been very successful, opening doors to scholarships and careers for many of his former students.

“I think that’s one of the best feelings as a teacher to be able to motivate students to pursue STEM careers after high school,” he said.

Carmen’s next destination is Washington, D.C., where she will showcase her project on a bigger stage.

As she takes part in one of her final high school competitions, she hopes to inspire that “as a Hispanic woman and just a woman in general, we can go far in fields that were previously dominated by males.”

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