Top Projects Announced at County STEM Fair, Local Students Advance To State Competition

The Merced County STEM Fair, held yesterday at the UC Merced Conference Center, brought together more than 60 elementary and middle school students from across the county to showcase nearly 40 projects in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. 

Sponsored by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Educational Employees Credit Union, UC Merced and the Merced County Education Foundation, the STEM Fair not only encourages students to pursue careers in STEM fields, but also provides them the opportunity to showcase their innovation and compete against their peers. 

Student projects from Our Lady of Mercy School and Chenoweth Elementary School from the Merced City School District received first place awards, with the top projects in the competition advancing to the California State Science and Engineering Fair in April.

The winning projects from each grade level:

EIGHTH GRADE

1st place: “Wick Wax Lasts Longer?” — Kaylin Scheurich and Liliana Manzo, Our Lady of Mercy School*

2nd place: “Hydrate or Diedrate?” — Gabrielle Hicks, Our Lady of Mercy School*

3rd place: “Car Wheel Tread Design” — John Xiong, Hoover Middle School*

SEVENTH GRADE

1st place: “No Soil, No Problem” — Ryne Rawlings, Our Lady of Mercy School*

2nd place: "Spherification” — Vasudha Shyam, Our Lady of Mercy School 

3rd place: “Classroom vs. Bathroom” — Anisha Jain, Our Lady of Mercy School

SIXTH GRADE

1st place: “Feel the Drip” — Mitchell Metcalf, Chenoweth Elementary School*

2nd place: “Eye-nergy Colors Product Category Color Preferences” — Grace Isbell, Givens Elementary School*

3rd place: “Bye Bye Banana” — Trent Scheurich, Our Lady of Mercy School

FIFTH GRADE

1st place: “San Andreas Fault” — Janelle Gray, Lizet Antonio Martinez and Aubree Batchelor, Chenoweth Elementary School

2nd place: “Hydrologic Cycle” — Alejandra Gudino, Maria Martin-Martinez, Patricia Orozco, Bellevue Elementary School

3rd place: “Ice Ice Baby” — Natalie Lopez, Our Lady of Mercy School

*Projects advance to the state competition. 

Student projects were judged by a panel of local scientists and professors from MCOE, UC Merced and Technovation, among others. Only students in grades 6 through 8 are eligible to advance to the state competition.

For photos from the event, click here.