The Alamance-Burlington School System celebrated scientific curiosity and innovation at its 2025 District Science Fair on December 16, recognizing outstanding student researchers across elementary, junior, and senior divisions. The event was held at Fine Arts Auditorium at Broadview Middle and Cummings High School. Overall, there were 43 projects and 70 students who participated.
Dr. Sean McWherter, Assistant Superintendent for Academics, welcomed participants and families to the awards ceremony, which honored students from across the district who demonstrated excellence in scientific inquiry and experimentation. Ashley cox, Elementary Math & Science Coordinator, and Erica Bower, Elementary Math & Science Coordinator, presented the awards along with Superintendent Dr. Fleming and Board members Tameka Harvey, Dr. Charles Parker, and Chair Sandy Ellington-Graves.
Complete List of Award Winners and Regional Qualifiers
Elementary Division
School | Student(s) | Award | Regional Qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|
South Graham | Owen Mangum | Honorable Mention | |
E.M. Holt | Kieran Cunningham | Honorable Mention | |
Finnian Cunningham | Honorable Mention | ||
E.M. Holt | Wyatt Graves | 3rd Place | ✓ |
B. Everett Jordan | Brantley Clayton | 3rd Place | ✓ |
Altamahaw-Ossipee | Chase Elliott | 2nd Place | ✓ |
B. Everett Jordan | Dawson Allen | 1st Place | ✓ |
Altamahaw-Ossipee | Natalie Mathis | 1st Place | ✓ |
Marvin B. Smith | Shirin Assar | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Catherine Hill | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Junior Division
School | Student(s) | Award | Regional Qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|
Broadview Middle | Anthony Chigubu-Bautista | Honorable Mention | |
Western Middle | Jett Hutchings | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Senior Division
School | Student(s) | Award | Regional Qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|
Cummings High | Roxana Aparicio | Honorable Mention | |
Camden Goldman | Honorable Mention | ||
Dina Alvarez Flores | Honorable Mention | ||
Western High | Harry Liu | Honorable Mention | |
Eastern High | Brylea Warren | Honorable Mention | |
Bayleigh Burris | Honorable Mention | ||
Chloe Stuart | Honorable Mention | ||
Eastern High | Chadwick Gray | 2nd Place | |
Christopher Moore | 2nd Place | ||
Eastern High | Joseph Carmack | 2nd Place | |
Vincent Cervantes | 2nd Place | ||
Eastern High | Benjamin Enoch | 1st Place | |
Ryan Jenkins | 1st Place | ||
Justice Sawyer | 1st Place | ||
Western High | Wynn Hutchings | 1st Place | |
William Merlette | 1st Place | ||
Eastern High | Braxton Ballard | 1st Place | |
Lillian Massey | 1st Place | ||
Morgan Beckham | 1st Place | ||
Eastern High | Lily Par | 1st Place | |
Edgar Benitez Gonzalez | 1st Place | ||
Southeast High | Margaret Parker | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Eastern High | Riley Justice | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Levi Prince | Grand Prize | ✓ | |
Natalya Cooper | Grand Prize | ✓ | |
Eastern High | Ethan Lambert | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Ulises Flores | Grand Prize | ✓ | |
Jamal Davis | Grand Prize | ✓ | |
Eastern High | Ella Saunders | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Olivia Hampton | Grand Prize | ✓ | |
Annalynn Hunter | Grand Prize | ✓ |
Regional Science Fair Advancement
A total of 18 students across all divisions will represent ABSS at the Regional Science Fair in February 2025. This impressive showing demonstrates the strength of science education throughout the district.
Elementary Division Regional Qualifiers (7 students):
Chase Elliott and Natalie Mathis (Altamahaw-Ossipee)
Dawson Allen and Brantley Clayton (B. Everett Jordan)
Wyatt Graves (E.M. Holt)
Shirin Assar and Catherine Hill (Marvin B. Smith) - Grand Prize Winners
Junior Division Regional Qualifiers (1 student):
Jett Hutchings (Western Middle) - Grand Prize Winner
Senior Division Regional Qualifiers (10 students):
Margaret Parker (Southeast High) - Grand Prize Winner
Riley Justice, Levi Prince, Natalya Cooper (Eastern High) - Grand Prize Winners
Ethan Lambert, Ulises Flores, Jamal Davis (Eastern High) - Grand Prize Winners
Ella Saunders, Olivia Hampton, Annalynn Hunter (Eastern High) - Grand Prize Winners
Elementary Division Highlights
The elementary division showcased impressive projects from young scientists exploring everyday phenomena. Owen Mangum from South Graham Elementary earned an honorable mention for his investigation into insulation materials, titled "The Great Insulation Showdown: Which Material Keeps Heat In Best?"
Brothers Kieran and Finnian Cunningham from E.M. Holt Elementary also received honorable mention recognition for their practical research on wood preservation methods underground, "Which Wood Treatment Protects Best Underground?"
Third place honors went to two projects: Wyatt Graves from E.M. Holt Elementary, who examined "How Salt Affects Plant Growth," and Brantley Clayton from B. Everett Jordan Elementary, whose "Speed of Pitch" project explored baseball throwing mechanics.
Chase Elliott of Altamahaw-Ossipee Elementary secured second place with "Last Pumpkin Standing," a study examining pumpkin preservation techniques.
Dawson Allen from B. Everett Jordan Elementary earned first place for his project "Need for Speed," which investigated factors affecting velocity and motion.
The elementary division's grand prize went to Shirin Assar and Catherine Hill from Marvin B. Smith Elementary for their collaborative project "How Fast or Slow Will It Go," which demonstrated advanced understanding of physics principles.
Junior Division Excellence
The junior division featured middle school students tackling more complex scientific questions. Anthony Chigubu-Bautista from Broadview Middle earned an honorable mention for his fascinating behavioral science project, "How Do Our Bodies React to Horror Movies?"
Jett Hutchings from Western Middle claimed the junior division grand prize with his sports science project "Making More Saves With Sticky Latex," which examined how latex coatings on goalkeeper gloves improve catching performance.
Senior Division Innovation
High school students in the senior division presented sophisticated research addressing real-world problems. The competition was particularly fierce, with Eastern High School emerging as a powerhouse with multiple award-winning projects.
Honorable mentions went to the Cummings High team of Roxana Aparicio, Camden Goldman, and Dina Alvarez Flores for "Bloom Alchemy," and Western High's Harry Liu for his work on "Beyond CO2: The Effects of Other Pollutants on Weather." Eastern High's Brylea Warren, Bayleigh Burris, and Chloe Stuart also received honorable mention for "The Strength of Slime."
Second place honors were awarded to two Eastern High teams: Joseph Carmack and Vincent Cervantes for "De-Eutrophication," and Chadwick Gray and Christopher Moore for "Makeshift Furnace."
Multiple first-place awards went to Eastern High teams, including Benjamin Enoch, Ryan Jenkins, and Justice Sawyer for "Extracting Bismuth from Pepto Bismol"; Lily Par and Edgar Benitez Gonzalez for "Biochar Water Filters"; and Braxton Ballard, Lillian Massey, and Morgan Beckham for "Bamboo Blaster." Western High's Wynn Hutchings and William Merlette also earned first place for "William and Wynn's Wonderful Wavers."
Four grand prize winners emerged from the senior division:
Margaret Parker from Southeast High for "Can Your Spice Rack Fight Bacteria? Investigating the Effects of Common Culinary Spices on E. coli Growth"
Riley Justice, Levi Prince, and Natalya Cooper from Eastern High for "Gato-Blaster"
Ethan Lambert, Ulises Flores, and Jamal Davis from Eastern High for "Wind Rising"
Ella Saunders, Olivia Hampton, and Annalynn Hunter from Eastern High for "From Chemicals to Gardens"
The ABSS District Science Fair continues to foster scientific literacy and critical thinking skills among students, preparing them for future careers in STEM fields while addressing pressing environmental and technological challenges facing society today.