Student Winners Shine at HITS Expo with Science Awards

LA PLATA, Md. (March 24, 2016)—More than 300 students from Charles County Public elementary, middle and high schools, as well as local private schools, entered their science or history day projects for awards as part of the first Charles County Public Schools History, Industry, Science and Technology Expo held March 19 at St. Charles High School.

The Expo replaces the annual Science and History Fairs and also showcased several school system programs available for students. These programs include robotics, the Code.org computer science partnership and offerings, Project Lead the Way, the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM), interactive media production and more.

La Plata High School freshman Jarrett Mulloy was named the overall winner of the science fair portion of the Expo. His project, "Variations of Light Speed through Mediums," earned a first-place award in the physics and astronomy category in the senior division. The overall winner is selected from among the first-place awards in the senior division.

Awards were given in three competing divisions: senior division for high school students, junior division for middle school students and an elementary school division. The following students received awards for their science fair projects.

Senior Division

First place awards:

• William Howl, Thomas Stone High School, freshman, chemistry;

• Grace Bowie, North Point High School, freshman, medicine and health sciences;

• Tyler Ulmschneider, North Point, freshman, environmental sciences;

• William Glorius, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, sophomore, microbiology; and

• Jarrett Mulloy, La Plata, freshman, physics and astronomy.

Second place awards:

• Alexis Crozier, La Plata, freshman, chemistry;

• Jeana Papagno, North Point, freshman, medicine and health sciences;

• Jacob Beltz, Stone, freshman, engineering: materials and bioengineering;

• George Southworth IV, St. Charles High School, freshman, physics and astronomy; and

• Cassidy Burch, Stone, freshman, plant sciences.

Third-place awards:

• Cody Sexton, Maurice J. McDonough High School, freshman, chemistry;

• Alicia Edwards, North Point, freshman, medicine and health sciences;

• Nakhyla Ligonde, St. Charles, freshman, engineering: materials and bioengineering;

• Stephen Duranske, St. Charles, freshman, behavioral and social sciences;

• Sarah Shay, North Point, freshman, physics and astronomy;

• Pierre Dela Cruz, St. Charles, freshman, engineering: electrical and mechanical; and

• Neko Ennis, Stone, freshman, plant sciences.

Junior Division

First place awards

• Angelo DeGraff, St. Mary's Bryantown School, eighth grade, biochemistry;

• Alessia Caudill, Mattawoman Middle School, sixth grade, cellular and molecular biology;

• Maci Mulloy, Piccowaxen Middle School, sixth grade, chemistry;

• Macy Ellis, Piccowaxen, sixth grade, earth and planetary sciences;

• Liumotumotua'an Aumavae, sixth grade, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, energy and transportation;

• Gavin Hayes, Matthew Henson Middle School, seventh grade, engineering: electrical and mechanical;

• Erin Possehl, Milton M. Somers Middle School, seventh grade, engineering: materials and bioengineering;

• Lauren Anderson, Piccowaxen, sixth grade, environmental management;

• Emma Vanden Berg, Somers, sixth grade, environmental sciences;

• Katelyn Carman, John Hanson Middle School, eighth grade, mathematical sciences;

• Sarah Thacker, Somers, sixth grade, medicine and health sciences;

• Nathanael Watson, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, seventh grade, microbiology;

• Sahana Venkatesh, General Smallwood Middle School, seventh grade, physics and astronomy; and

• Ryann Brown, Hanson, seventh grade, plant sciences.

Second place awards

• Kourtlan Copeland, Henson, eighth grade, cellular and molecular biology;

• Lauren Chandler, Henson, eighth grade, chemistry;

• John Andrews, Piccowaxen, sixth grade, energy and transportation;

• Caden Simpson, Somers, sixth grade, engineering: materials and bioengineering;

• Courtney Keller, St. Mary's Bryantown, eighth grade, environmental management;

• Maxwell Stine, Grace Lutheran School, eighth grade, mathematical sciences; and

• Ethan Strain, St. Mary's Bryantown, seventh grade, physics and astronomy.

Third place awards

• Alyssa Norris, Hanson, seventh grade, cellular and molecular biology;

• Cierra Nestor-Gray, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, sixth grade, chemistry;

• Yasmeen Adeleke, Davis, seventh grade, energy and transportation;

• Allegria Wahle, St. Mary's Bryantown, eighth grade, environmental management;

• Daniel Mears, Somers, sixth grade, engineering: materials and bioengineering;

• Morgan Vicha, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, seventh grade, environmental management; and

• Augustine Blay, Henson, sixth grade, physics and astronomy.

Elementary School Winners

First place awards

• Colin Kirby, Indian Head Elementary School, fifth grade, chemistry;

• Jillian Daniel, T.C. Martin Elementary School, third grade, earth science;

• Sydney Swann, Martin, fourth grade, engineering;

• Bella Winder, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, third grade, environmental science;

• Matthew Kephart, Eva Turner Elementary School, fifth grade, life science;

• Peyton Lee, St. Mary's Bryantown, fifth grade, mathematical sciences; and

• Kincade Burroughs, Martin, fourth grade, physics.

Second place awards

• Damari Rorie, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School, third grade, chemistry;

• Jason Hoover, Malcolm Elementary School, fifth grade, earth science;

• Patrick Wutka, Mitchell, third grade, engineering;

• Keeva Morgan, Turner, fourth grade, life science;

• Rachel Chernoff, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, fourth grade, mathematical sciences; and

• Robert Generette IV, Mary B. Neal Elementary School, second grade, physics.

Third place awards

• Todd Waller, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School, third grade, chemistry;

• Micah Racho, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School, fifth grade, earth science;

• Dexter Street, Berry Elementary School, fourth grade, engineering;

• Dominique Piecara, J.P. Ryon Elementary School, fifth grade, life science, and;

• Kaelan Parkin, William B. Wade Elementary School, fifth grade, physics.

Students were also eligible to receive special awards for their projects. Special award winners are listed below.

American Association of University Women, Mary Matula Award:

• Karina Robinson, freshman, La Plata.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics:

• Jacob Polis, sophomore, Stone;

• Michael Gill, freshman, La Plata; and

• Stephen Duranske, freshman, St. Charles.

Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland

• Sydney Swann, fourth grade, Martin.

College of Southern Maryland:

• Robert Generette IV, fifth grade, Neal;

• Maci Mulloy, sixth grade, Piccowaxen; and

• William Glorius, sophomore, Southern Maryland Christian Academy.

La Plata Garden Club:

• Cassidy Burch, freshman, Stone;

• Emma French, sixth grade, Piccowaxen; and

• Matthew Kephart, fifth grade, Turner.

La Plata Lions Club:

• Mia Ross, fifth grade, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School;

• Kori Sheckells, seventh grade, Smallwood; and

• Alicia Edwards, freshman, North Point.

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division:

• Grace Bowie, freshman, North Point;

• William Howl, freshman, Stone;

• Liumotumotua'an Aumavae, sixth grade, Davis;

• James McKinney, seventh grade, Mattawoman;

• Jacob Polis, sophomore, Stone; and

• Jarrett Mulloy, freshman, La Plata.

Patuxent Partnership:

• Michael Gill, freshman, La Plata;

• Chloe Cooke, freshman, Stone;

• Jacob Polis, sophomore, Stone;

• Megan Carr, freshman, Westlake;

• Liumotumotua'an Aumavae, sixth grade, Davis;

• Allegria Wahle, eighth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown;

• Lauren Anderson, sixth grade, Piccowaxen; and

• Katelyn Carman, eighth grade, Hanson.

Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Inc.:

• Ryann Brown, seventh grade, Hanson;

• Cassidy Burch, freshman, Stone;

• Morgan Vicah, seventh grade, Stoddert; and

• Justin McIntyre, freshman, Westlake.

Water and Waste Operations Association of Maryland, Delaware:

• Felicia McKnew, eighth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown; and

• Hannah Rison, fourth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown.

A complete list of students who received awards in the history day portion of the HITS Expo is posted on the Charles County Public Schools website at www.ccboe.com/pr/.