Rachel Bobbins, a senior at East Meadow High School, was one of 18 students nationwide selected to conduct science research this summer at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Bobbins submitted three letters of recommendation, interviewed with Weizmann officials and wrote an essay on her scientific achievements.

“I jumped up and down and called my grandparents in Florida,” said Bobbins, 17, of being notified of her selection via e-mail.

The Weizmann program consists of three weeks of scientific research—in topics that include biodiesel fuel, algae oil and polarization—followed by one week of field study in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, Bobbins said.

Last summer, she participated in a similar program—the Legacy Heritage Internships for Young Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

“One thing I like about Israel is people move there from all over the world,” Bobbins said. “Last summer, one of our taxi drivers was from Cedarhurst.”

Bobbins has also attended the Columbia University Science Honors Programs. She plans to attend Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts this fall.