Tustin high school student wins first place in an international environmental science video contest

Little did 18-year-old Bryan Nguyen know that iPhone shots of a Lego mini-figure sitting on a toilet would win him a first-place $1,000 cash prize. “There are a number of different waterborne pathogens, and it’s problematic in developing areas where they don’t have adequate sanitation,” said Tracy Scott, Nguyen’s teacher who has taught science for about 17 years. So the topic is pretty substantial and compelling.” Each student in the class was required to complete a video, but the prompt comes from Population Education — a national nonprofit program providing teachers with curriculum resources focusing on human population issues. The program started in 1975 and launched the “World of 7 Billion” student video contest nine years ago. “Public health is an area where we could use some kind and brilliant minds.” Scott plans to incorporate the contest into her classroom again in the next school year.