Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held its seventh annual History, Industry, Technology and Science (HITS) Expo on Saturday, March 12, at St. Charles High School.
The Expo included an array of student science and history fair projects on display for judging. The science fair projects were categorized by Behavioral/Medicine and Health Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Science, Life Science, and Physics and Astronomy. Special awards were also given to eligible students.
The following students received awards for their science fair projects.
Senior Division
First-place award – Rayyen Saghir, senior, North Point High School, “How Dirty are Your Goggles?” life science category.
Junior Division
First-place awards
- Skylan Brassell, seventh grade, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “Filtering Water with Activated Carbon and Moringa Seeds,” environmental science category;
- Isabella Wilburg, sixth grade, Matthew Henson Middle School, “Melting Ice Cubes,” physics and astronomy category.
Second-place award – Nalani Wilson, seventh grade, Henson, “How Does Color Affect Memory?” life science category.
Elementary Division
First-place awards
- Elijah Usual, fourth grade, J.P. Ryon Elementary School, “Does Color Affect Taste?” behavioral/medicine and health science category;
- Mart Elam Lofranco, fifth grade, Berry Elementary School, “How Does Salt, Sugar, Flour, and Baking Soda Affect How Long it Takes for Ice to Melt?” chemistry category;
- Isaac Raub, third grade, Ryon, “Which Bridge is Falling Down?” engineering category;
- Tamlyn Hopkins, third grade, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, “A Pollution Solution,” environmental science category;
- Grady Lynch, fifth grade, St. Mary’s Bryantown, “Colorful Wheat,” life science category;
- Paige Warring, third grade, Mitchell, “I’m ‘nuts’ about running speed,” physics and astronomy category.
Second-place awards
- Madison Dalton, fourth grade, Mitchell, “Face Mask Efficacy,” behavioral/medicine and health science category;
- London Alexander, third grade, Billingsley Elementary School, “The Big Freeze Hot Vs. Cold,” chemistry category;
- Noor Anjum, fourth grade, Berry, “Angle at which a Projectile Is Launched,” engineering category;
- Liam Williams, fifth grade, St. Mary’s, “From Trash to Gas,” environmental science category;
- Grace Balderson, fifth grade, St. Mary’s, “Capillary Action-Does Size Really Matter?” life science category;
- Amari Hall, fourth grade, Mary B. Neal Elementary School, “Light Bright Fruggie Fight,” physics and astronomy category.
Below is a list of students who received a special award for their science fair projects.
Senior Division – Rayyan Saghir, senior, North Point, “How Dirty Are Your Goggles?” College of Southern Maryland (CSM) High School Winner.
Junior Division – Skylan Brassell, seventh grade, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “Filtering Water with Activated Carbon and Moringa Seeds,” CSM Middle School Winner, Archaeology Society, Water and Waste Operators Association; and Ethan Maradiaga, seventh grade, St. Mary’s, “Plants Vs. Erosion,” La Plata Lions Club Middle School.
Elementary Division
- Tamlyn Hopkins, third grade, Mitchell, “A Pollution Solution,” La Plata Lions Club;
- Bethany Legge, third grade, Mitchell, “Does Adding Different Materials to Soil Help Plants Grow,” La Plata Lions Club;
- Bruce Kelly, fifth grade, St. Mary’s, “Temperature Effects on the Elasticity of Rubber Bands,” CSM Elementary Winner.
The following students received awards for their history fair projects.
Junior Individual Documentary
- Krisha Patel, seventh grade, first place, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, “A Walk-Through History: Dropping the Atomic Bomb;” and
- Abigail Higdon, seventh grade, second place, Piccowaxen Middle School, “The Soviet-American Ballet Exchange.”
Junior Group Documentary
- Matthew Pham and Dylan Shafer, seventh grade, first place, Milton M. Somers Middle School, “The Vietnam War;” and
- Leo Abramson and Kendrick Edwards, seventh grade, second place, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, “Debate and Diplomacy in the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Junior Individual Exhibit
- Jailyn Conward, seventh grade, first place, Davis, “Brown v. Board of Education;” and
- Maryam Elayyadi, seventh grade, second place, Davis, “The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.”
Junior Group Exhibit
- Chase Harkness, seventh grade, and Evan Schiavoni, eighth grade, first place, St. Mary’s School, “The Great Postal Strike;” and
- Jessica Forbes and Jennifer Forbes, seventh grade, second place, General Smallwood Middle School, “Women’s Rights Movement.”
Junior Historical Paper
- Kayman Burwell, seventh grade, first place, Davis, “The Significance and Benefits of Brown v. the Board of Education;” and
- Leina Chen, seventh grade, second place, Davis, “Diplomacy Resolves a World Threat: Remembering the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.”
Junior Individual Performance
- Skylan Brassell, seventh grade, first place, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “Wild Horse Annie v. The Bureau of Land Management;” and
- Jack Compton, seventh grade, second place, Piccowaxen, “George Washington.”
Junior Group Performance
- Isabelle Gray and Emmie Kolker, seventh grade, first place, Somers, “The History of the Women’s Rights Movement.”
Senior Individual Performance
- Esther Bonney, ninth grade, first place, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “T-Minus Thirteen Days Until Apocalypse.”
Junior Individual Website
- Madisyn Krauss, sixth grade, first place, St. Mary’s, “Benjamin Franklin: America’s Most Successful Diplomat;” and
- Zahara Speed, seventh grade, second place, Somers, “The U.S. Postal Strike of 1970.”
Junior Group Website
- Alexis Malone and Hana Abebe, seventh grade, first place, Davis, “The Dropping of the Atomic Bomb;” and
- Gabrielle Frye and Victoria Thomas, eighth grade, second place, St. Mary’s, “The Great Debates of Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.”
Senior Individual Website
- Lauren Compton, ninth grade, first place, La Plata High School, “Debate and Diplomacy at the Constitutional Convention and its Consequences.”
Special Awards
- Kamarie Barnes, seventh grade, Matthew Henson Middle School, “Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” award from the African American Heritage Society of Charles County;
- Christa Middleton, seventh grade, John Hanson Middle School, “Slavery and Civil Rights: A Movement through Time,” award from the African American Heritage Society of Charles County;
- Dominic Nelson, eighth grade, St. Mary’s, “Independence Without Bloodshed,” award from the MD Alpha Beta Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa;
- Madison Scott, eighth grade, Piccowaxen, “Ouray: Ute Diplomat,” award from the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland;
- Avery Holness, seventh grade, Somers, “The Oyster Wars,” award from the Charles County Antique Arts Association;
- Isabelle Lopez, seventh grade, Hanson, “Changing Times and Changing Minds: The 19th Amendment,” award from the Charles County Heritage Commission;
- Delyla Sanchez Burgos, seventh grade, Davis, “Civil Rights Act,” award from the Charles County Heritage Commission;
- Elise McDonald, sixth grade, St. Mary’s, “How Abraham Lincoln’s Debate and Diplomacy Skills Led to the End of Slavery,” award from the Port Tobacco Chapter, National Association of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution;
- Matthew Pham and Dylan Shafer, seventh grade, Somers, “The Vietnam War,” award from the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Eta Omicron Sigma Chapter;
- Aubriana Harrington, seventh grade, Henson, “Women’s Rights,” award from the Ella Virginia Houck Holloway Chapter, U.S. Daughters of 1812;
- Alexandra Hoiler and Ebony Henry, seventh grade, Henson, “The Salem Witch Trials,” award from the Historical Society of Charles County;
- Alexandra Powell, seventh grade, Henson, “Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court Decision,” award from The Port Tobacco Players;
- Adaline Destefano, seventh grade, Henson, “The Attack: Never Forgotten,” award from The Friendship House Foundation;
- Jadin Turner, seventh grade, Henson, “Racism in the National Basketball Association,” award from the Friendship House Foundation; and
- Esther Bonney, ninth grade, Neighborhood Creative Arts Center, “T-Minus Thirteen Days Until Apocalypse,” award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
