Local students win at county science fair

Students from Conejo Valley area schools won awards at the 54th Ventura County Science Fair, held April 22 to 24 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.

The fair's theme was "Science in Our Lives." All first and secondplace finishers in each division category qualify to compete in the California State Science Fair in Los Angeles scheduled for May 19 to 20.

Three students from La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks won firstplace awards in the Senior Division, grades 9 to 12. The students are Brenna Callero for a project in animal sciences, Emily Zafaghari in Amgen biochemistry, and Jaquelyn Lauletta in physics and astronomy. Elly Shao won the Junior Division's chemistry category.

Sequoia Intermediate School in Thousand Oaks and Medea Creek Middle School in Oak Park both had three winning entries in the Junior Division, grades six to eight.

Sequoia winners were Jack Ireland in Amgen biochemistry, Jacob Kohlhepp in HASS engineering: materials and bioengineering, and Jonathan Wooley in microbiology.

Medea Creek's winners were Aaron Schroeder in energy and transportation, Vivian Rotenstein in physics and astronomy, and Cole Berweiler in plant sciences. Other students with first-place projects in the Senior Division include Erik Aidukas of Westlake High School in chemistry, and Sol Moon of Moorpark High School, HASS engineering: electrical and mechanical.

Junior Division winners also include Sean Callero of Los Cerritos Intermediate School of Thousand Oaks, animal sciences; Jessica Winter of Mesa Elementary in Somis, behavioral and social sciences; Blake Tickell of Chaparral Middle School in Moorpark, HASS engineering: electrical and mechanical; and Laura Vajcovec of Mesa Elementary, medicine and health sciences.

The following students won special awards: Alexi Ozder of La Reina, Air Pollution Control District; and Sambavi Ramakrishnan of La Reina; Jacob Kohlhepp of Sequoia Intermediate; and Sol Moon of Moorpark High.

A total of 700 students countywide participated in the science fair, which was sponsored by the Ventura County Office of Education. Local professionals in the sciences served as judges.

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