From classroom assignment to winning project
BVH students place at the Sweetwater Science Fair
Assistant Principal Jason Josafat presents certificate to junior Emmanuel Triana in his fifth period IB Environmental Systems and Socities class. Triana place third in the Sweetwater Science fair.
May 9, 2022
On April 26, Assistant Principal Jason Josafat presented certificates and trophies to students in International Baccalaureate (IB) Environmental Systems and Societies teacher Jennifer Ekstein’s class who placed in the Sweetwater Science Fair. On March 9, 19 Bonita Vista High (BVH) students placed 1st at the Sweetwater Science Fair. Due to Ekstein’s ‘it’s a great experience’ approach, a total of 38 projects were entered into the fair.
Ekstein encouraged numerous of her IB ESS students to enter their Internal Assessments (IA) into the science fair to gain a rewarding experience for themselves and as an added bonus, extra credit. IAs are self-made science experiments submitted for the IB ESS exam. She noted that this was the most amount of students entered the science fair in her years of teaching.
“I felt that they worked so hard on their IAs that it should be rewarded in multiple ways,” Ekstein said. “Besides getting their IB score that they won’t know until July, why not get feedback earlier on so they can make any changes? So when they do turn it in they’ve had feedback from STEM Science Fair scientists.”
Junior Mia Ramos was one of the students who won first place at the fair. Her project featured the difference between organic and inorganic soils and their effects on the germination and growth rates of radishes.
“I decided to do a project on soil because I thought it was pretty interesting and a cool experience. I [chose] it because it was based on world hunger. It’s trying to see how we should use organic soil instead of inorganic. It’s healthier for the environment because inorganic soils pollute the earth,” Ramos said.
Ramos participated in the science fair because she believed it would look good on college applications and be a good experience. Upon entering the science fair, Ramos did not expect to place first.
“I am proud of myself for putting myself out there. I didn’t have high hopes. I thought, ‘Well, at least I made it’. But, I was really surprised when I placed first. I didn’t have much confidence in myself,” Ramos said.
Senior Diego Nunes placed second in the fair. His project covered fast and slow muscle twitches and its prevalence in high school students. Nunes was first introduced to the science fair in middle school so he jumped at the opportunity to pursue the science fair again due to his positive experiences in previous years.
“Because we had so much preparation for it, I felt that it was definitely worth the time that I put in,” Nunes said. “I really enjoyed it because science is a fundamental subject and I like going out there and being able to present my projects.”
Nunes shared that the conservations he had with his judges, who were local scientists from San Diego, were insightful.
“Whenever you do a project there are more levels of analysis and exploration that you can go into and I love learning about that. Science fair judges will tell you about how you can expand and further your interest. That’s one thing I really love about the science fair,” Nunes said.
Junior Emmanuel Triana received third place at the fair for his project on the effects of acid rain on wheatgrass. He chose this topic because he had not yet learned about it in school. Triana expressed interest in participating the following year to expand on his project from this year. Similar to Ramos, Triana was initially doubtful of himself at the science fair before receiving his distinction.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect myself to do well, especially because I was already in my head. The judges that I had were super nice and they complimented my project,” Triana said. “It was a really good experience. I would definitely do it again. Being able to see everyone else’s projects was also really fun.” It was a really good experience. I would definitely do it again. — Junior Emmanuel Triana
Ekstein noted that a primary value in the science experience is building one’s college resume as the significance of standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT), slowly fade.
“SAT and ACT are becoming a thing of the past for certain universities. So, you really have to make yourself valuable in the STEM field if that is the major you are pursuing. This is a great opportunity to write your college essay on these types of experiences and prove that you are serious about STEM,” Ekstein said.
Ramos plans to continue the science fair her senior year due to the positive experience she had this year. She believes that many people should pursue the science fair even if they do not believe that they are going to win.
“I think everyone should just give it a try, no matter what. Even if you don’t place, it is still an experience that you can put on your college applications. It is an experience that is hard to get, and you can’t get it anywhere else,” Ramos said.
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