Wentzville Students Compete in Science, Engineering Fair

Students from the competed in Missouri’s Tri-County Regional Science and Engineering Fair held at St. Charles Community College on Saturday, Feb. 26.

At the end of the day, 57 Wentzville students and six classrooms were recognized for their efforts, including 22 first place awards.

Holt High School Senior Katie Larkin received an overall first place in the High School Honors Division for her project “Identification of the Source of Indeterminate DNA in Fluorescence Assays of Sterile Seed Corn” and will advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles on May 7-14.

Larkin was also the recipient of the Stockholm Water Award and both the Navy and Air Force Research Awards for her project which she worked on while interning at .

Additional recognition went to the following students:

• Kaylyn Bauer — Society for InVitro Biology Award.
• Raisa Buenaventura — U.S. Metric Association Award; American Chemical Society, second place.
• Chandler Est — I-SWEEP Outstanding Sustainability Project Award; American Chemical Society, second place.
• Lydia Harvengt — American Psychological Association Award; Mu Alpha Theta Award; High School Honors Division, fourth place; Air Force Award.
• Alyssa Shannon — American Chemical Society, honorable mention.
• Tia Harper — American Chemical Society, first place.
• Caleb Smith — American Meteorology Award; High School Honors Division, third place; Air Force Award.

• Angela Deters — Ricoh Sustainability Award; Stockholm Water Award; Exceptional Genius Award; I-SWEEP Recognition Award.
• Kurt Bognar — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Award.
• Luke Heisele — High School Honors Division, second place; National Society of Professional Engineers Award; ASM Materials Education Foundation Award; Air Force Research Award; and Navy Research Award.

The high school winners have been invited to present their research at the Missouri Junior Science, Engineering and Humanities Symposium at the University of Missouri – St. Louis on March 17-19.

All 15 of the Wentzville School District’s elementary, middle and high schools sent representatives to compete in the fair which drew nearly 500 entries from five area school districts, both public and private.