When asked to pick 2019’s Utahn of the Year, a plurality of Salt Lake Tribune readers didn’t choose a leader in government or business — they opted for three teenage girls who demonstrated their skills at science.
The Tribune’s reader poll drew 1,049 responses, and the top vote-getters, at 22.9%, were Sidor Clare and Kassie Holt of Sandy and Mercedes Randhahn of Ogden. They were among 30 finalists in the Broadcom MASTERS, a national STEM competition for middle-school students.
Clare received the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, and Holt received $3,500 and a first-place award in technology, for their project: A way to create building materials on Mars by mixing resin to native soil to make super-strong bricks.