Cupertino resident Stephen Guo indulged his interest in science this summer as one of 16 U.S. students chosen to participate in the 35th annual Dr. Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute in Rehovot, Israel.

A freshman at Stanford University and a 2003 graduate of Monta Vista High School, Stephen studied with scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science and conducted experiments alongside dozens of international scholars. "One of the best parts was meeting new people from all over the world," Stephen says. His projects concerned the applications of computer science to neurobiology.

He also says learning about the ways of life in Israel was intriguing. "Israel seemed a lot like America—it's very suburban and English is widely spoken. A lot of Americans live over there," Stephen says.

Stephen, the son of Richard and Julie Guo, is leaning toward a major in computer science.