By LOIS KINDLE
Riverview High School junior James Watt was recently one of 111 juniors in the state, including three from Hillsborough County, to be recognized as a 2024 Sunshine State Scholar. He received the designation during the 2024 Sunshine State Scholars conference May 2-3 in Orlando.
Of those 111 scholars, Watt was among 37 who were awarded a full, one-year scholarship funded by State Farm and Florida prepaid to any Florida college.
“It is a huge honor to be recognized as one of the Sunshine State Scholars,” he said. “I’m very thankful for the opportunities brought with both the scholarship and the connections I made at the event.”
AMBER WATT PHOTO
James Watt, known as Jamie at age 3, developed a deep interest in learning as a student at Riverview Montessori School, which he attended for three years. He has since been recently recognized as a Sunshine State Scholar for his academic achievements in STEM subjects.
Dual-enrolled in classes with the University of South Florida, Watt hopes to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville to major in physics and engineering as an undergraduate and, subsequently, earn both a master’s degree and PhD in physics. The University of Florida was recently acknowledged by Forbes as one of 10 public new Ivy League schools.
Here’s how the Sunshine State Scholars program works:
Every high school in Florida can nominate a junior with a weighted GPA of 3.9 or higher who has “expressed or demonstrated” an interest in studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Watt was nominated by his high school science teacher, Dean Pinzino.
Each school district then selects between one and three Sunshine State Scholars’ finalists, based on the total student enrollment in the district. All scholars are required to have an interest in pursuing postsecondary education opportunities in Florida and are encouraged to stay in Florida and contribute to its economy.
The district scholars and their parents are invited to attend a special conference in Orlando, which brings them together with others from around the state, connects them with employers specializing in STEM fields and creates a networking opportunity between the teens and schools from Florida’s College and State University System.
Watt was recognized as a Sunshine State Scholar at the 2024 conference May 2-3. It was there he also learned about the scholarship.
AMBER WATT PHOTO
James Watt is seen here with the acrylic trophy he received after being named Sunshine State Scholar at a special conference held in Orlando May 2-3.
About James Watt
Watt is the younger son of Morgan and Amber Watt, of Riverview. His 19-year-old brother, Jonathan, is a cadet at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Michigan.
His interest in learning was fueled as a 3-year-old student at the Riverview Montessori School, which he attended for three years.
“I interacted with Jamie quite a lot,” said Rohini Rustogi, founder/owner of the school. “He loved the outdoors and our garden, was good with his hands and was such a curious learner.
“He liked to explore and do things his way,” she continued. “He left no stone unturned and was always pushing himself to learn new things.”
Over the years, the boy developed a passion for both math and science. For his 8th-grade science project, which was done remotely due to the COVID pandemic, he researched and manufactured a rocket engine, winning a competition at the school level.
“In my spare time, I studied the impact of nozzle design and verified equations used in rocket acceleration,” Watt said.
“Around the same time, I joined the ATLAS Space Explorers, a program of the Boy Scouts sponsored by ATLAS Space Operations. The company provides mentors and professional speakers for the development of STEM talent.”
From 8th to 10th grade, he participated in the Stellar Xplorers national STEM competition and worked on real-world problems, like orbit determination for satellites, launch hardware based on specific mission requirements and satellite hardware to maximize performance and minimize cost.
COURTESY PHOTO
Seventeen-year-old James Watt is seen here with family members with his certificate recognizing him as a 2024 Sunshine State Scholar. From left are his mother, Amber; aunt, Meggen Petersen; and uncle, Joel Petersen.
FAITHFUL JOY PHOTO
James Watt, second from left, is seen here with his family at their home in Riverview. Surrounding him are his mother, Amber; older brother, Jonathan; and dad, Morgan. Watt has benefitted from the strong support and encouragement of his family for his hard work and dedication to academic excellence.
He also built a small satellite and launched it on a small weather balloon to test its performance and developed and designed a muon detector, using it to validate mathematical theory. It worked.
Even though all this sounds Greek to most people, it’s a world and language Watt finds fascinating. While some might think his focus is strictly academic, he’s actually quite well-rounded.
Watt enjoys varsity hockey and swimming, plays the piano and chess and likes all kinds of water sports, including boating and fishing. He also enjoys spending time with his family.
AMBER WATT PHOTO
Riverview High School junior James Watt was recently one of 111 juniors in the state, including three from Hillsborough County, to be recognized as a 2024 Sunshine State Scholar.
On the horizon
Watt is currently preparing to participate in a selective, student science project at the University of Florida.
“I’ll be spending two months on campus engaging with professors, graduate students and industry professionals learning to do scientific research,” he said. “I’ll write a research paper and give a talk afterward.”
Then he’s on to finish high school and begin college.
Watt’s dream job is to work as a researcher at CERN, a huge, multinational nuclear research lab in Switzerland.
