2012-2013 Winners

Ninth grader Katherine Salvatori, from Pine View School in Osprey, FL, is used to going the extra mile and getting involved in important causes. She found out about the World of 7 Billion contest after asking her biology teacher about extra projects. Choosing to focus on the topic of women’s status was an easy choice, she says, remarking on how a low status can “prevent [women and girls] from having control over their own bodies. Especially being a girl, I really see the power of education.” And while she was somewhat aware of population, she learned a lot about how growth was related to education levels.

Katherine decided to use symbols that were universal throughout her video because she thought they would “connect with everyone regardless of race or culture.” She didn’t want the message to be seen as specifically for one group, which was her worry if using live actors, but have a broader reach. Compiling the almost 400 photos that made up her video was the most challenging part of the process for Katherine and she admits that it took some experimenting to figure out how to make them flow the way she intended.

In her free time, Katherine likes to play the piano, dance, and sail on her school’s team. She is also actively involved in community service and sits on the board of Circus Sarasota, a non-profit. In fact, she plans to donate her prize money to the Big Top Education program that will bring science, technology and math into area classrooms through circus arts.