Students shine at HITS Expo with science awards
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, according to a release. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Kincade Burroughs, Mar- tin, 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
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
Kaelan Parkin, William B. Wade Elementary School, fifth grade, physics
The following students received special awards for their projects.
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
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
William Glorius, sophomore, Southern Maryland Christian Academy La Plata Garden Club Cassidy Burch, freshman, Stone
Emma French, sixth grade, Piccowaxen
Matthew Kephart, fifth grade, Turner La Plata Lions Club Mia Ross, fifth grade, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School
Kori Sheckells, seventh grade, Smallwood
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
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
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
Justin McIntyre, freshman, Westlake
Water and Waste Operations Association of Maryland, Delaware
Felicia McKnew, eighth grade, St. Mary’s Bryantown
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/.