Millie Pradawong, a freshman at James Madison High School, is a national finalist in the 2026 3M Top Young Scientist Challenge for a project exploring gene-editing possibilities with microalgae.

The challenge is a national science competition for students in grades five through eight, run by 3M and Discovery Education. Students submitted entries between Jan. 7 and April 30, and finalists were announced in June.

Pradawong developed her research while enrolled at Thoreau Middle School in Vienna. The competition awards a $25,000 grand prize, and each finalist receives $1,000 and a mentorship with a 3M scientist, according to AdmissionSight, a college-admissions resource that tracks student competitions.

Pradawong's path to the national stage started early. Her first-grade teacher at Vienna Elementary School gave each student a tree to grow at home on their own time, according to a Fairfax County Public Schools feature highlighted in the district's Sept. 9 newsletter. That assignment sparked a lasting interest in biology. The tree still stands in Pradawong's backyard, now twice as tall as she is.

Pradawong attended Vienna Elementary before moving to Thoreau Middle School, where she began the microalgae work that caught the attention of competition judges. Microalgae are microscopic organisms found in freshwater and marine environments, and researchers have studied them as potential tools for biofuel production and carbon capture. Pradawong's project focused on gene-editing applications for the organisms.

FCPS highlighted her achievement under the headline "Rooted in Excellence: How FCPS Science Classrooms Sparked a 3M Top Young Scientist Project."

Pradawong will compete at the final event in October in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the grand-prize winner will be named.