Publishing a research paper as a high school student is not an easy or linear process; but Horizon scholars such as Avanthi Krishnan remind us that it is an attainable and rewarding goal when we embrace the journey entailed in conducting independent research and don’t let obstacles discourage or define us. While participating in the Behavioral Economics track of the Horizon Academic Research Program, Avanthi explored the psychology behind Covid-19 vaccination trends, providing insights on why some choose to get the vaccine while others don’t. Under the supervision of Dr. Edoardo Gallo, a highly acclaimed professor from the University of Cambridge, Avanthi wrote a research paper that is now featured in the 11th volume of the Journal of Student Research — but this success only came after a series of trials and tribulations.

At the time, Avanthi was a sophomore at Montville Township Public High School who wanted to engage in an academic activity that was more profound than busy-work and more extensive than essay-writing. She explained how Dr. Gallo’s virtual classroom and materials simulated college while still allowing her to receive specialized attention and feedback. Reflecting on this experience, Avanthi expressed, “my relationship with my mentor was really great. Dr. Gallo was really supportive. He was really knowledgeable. And all the assignments he assigned, like the works of Daniel Kahneman, were really helpful and really interesting; and I really enjoyed reading them.” In the face of challenges, such as a shortage of other scholarly work and sources on the topic given the novelty of the pandemic, she was relieved to count on Dr. Gallo’s help to “check over [her] work,” talk through the “biases in [her] paper,” and revise as needed.

In acknowledging the tremendous value she saw in Dr. Gallo’s mentorship, Avanthi also extended her appreciation to the Horizon Academic Research Program at large. While she certainly felt proud of herself and all the work, time, and commitment she put into this project, she shared the credit for this astounding accomplishment with us — voicing that “it’s definitely incredible to get recognition for my work [but] it definitely couldn’t have been possible without Horizon. All the support I got, and all the knowledge I got is definitely because of Horizon. So I’m just really grateful for this opportunity. And getting published, it’s definitely a difficult process, but Horizon definitely calmed me down.” Avanthi’s positive takeaways are a gentle reminder to give ourselves a break, as she did when she “learned even rejection’s okay [...] At first I was like, ‘oh my God’ I have to get published [on the] first try but it wasn’t that bad, especially with all my mentors supporting me.”

To contextualize Avanthi’s encounter with the publication industry, she was shocked to discover that the eligibility requirements for several journals prohibited research papers longer than 10 or 15 pages — and even more disappointing, some journals rejected any research articles on the matter of Covid-19 altogether. Yet instead of letting the said circumstances be a setback, Avanthi navigated these surprises and complications with exceptional intellectual maturity — which she passes on to her peers by offering the following advice: “Be okay with making mistakes, and also okay with rejection, because a lot of times you’re not going to get published the first time. I feel like it’s really important to realize that. It doesn’t necessarily mean your work isn’t good. It just means that maybe there’s a better opportunity for you elsewhere. So I feel like those two things are really important for any student to succeed and they definitely helped me succeed as well.” We encourage high schoolers to follow in Avanthi’s footsteps and apply to the Horizon Academic Research Program ready to tackle any hurdles that come their way, counting on the guidance of our qualified and empathetic instructors.