Conejo students shine at science fair

Students from Conejo Valley schools dominated the 53rd annual Ventura County Science Fair, held April 17 to 19 at Seaside Park in Ventura, with La Reina High School tying Ventura High for most firstplace projects in the Senior Division with four, and area intermediate school students winning 10 of 12 Junior Division categories.

More than 800 students countywide entered projects in this year's fair, with the theme "Exploring the Unknown." In addition to top project awards, more than $5,000 in special awards from county companies, businesses and agencies were handed out to more than 60 students.

Lauren Dansey and Stephanie Leung (botany), Danica Frye (human biology), Jodi Loo (mathematics, computer science and electronics) and Emily Zolfaghari (microbiology) were the Senior Division winners for La Reina, while La Reina eighth-graders Lauren Franke and Katherine Trockey teamed up to turn in the Junior Division's top zoology project, and Ravital Solomon tied for first in chemistry.

Westlake High's Erik Aidukas, meanwhile, was judged to have the best chemistry division project. In addition, Aidukas earned a special $500 cash prize from NACE International for having the top Senior Division project in materials science and corrosion-related fields. Kavya Singampali, a student at Sycamore Canyon School, won NACE International's $500 prize in the Junior Division.

Samantha Lux (animal behavioral and social sciences), Elizabeth Bouchard (engineering) and Grace Ng (human behavioral and social sciences), all Los Cerritos Middle School students, earned first place in the Junior Division.

Sequoia Middle School also had three Junior Division winners: Christian Louey (botany), Abhishek Kodukulla (earth, space and environmental sciences) and Bryce Kobrin (mathematics, computer science and electronics).

Remaining Conejo Valley Junior Division winners were Jake Snyder of Colina Intermediate (chemistry), Juie Ferguson of Colina Intermediate and Michael Iorga of Sycamore Canyon Elementary (physics) and Samantha Guhan of Sycamore Canyon Elementary (biochemistry).

Students whose projects place first in their categories, along with secondplace finishers, qualify to compete in the California State Science Fair in Los Angeles on May 21 and 22.

For complete results, visit www.vcoe.org/sc.