Story by Jennifer Moore
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Forty one Clarksville Academy chemistry students participated in the 62nd Annual Middle Tennessee Science and Engineering Fair (MTSEF) on March 20.
MTSEF is sponsored by APSU. Twenty four CA students sponsored by Jennifer Moore were recognized on April 7th at the awards ceremony held on campus. Many of the students placed in their category and also won secondary awards and cash prizes from the twenty eight private and state organizations that came to judge the fair. Clarksville Academy students won thousands of dollars this year.
Seven students took first-place honors in their categories: William McIntosh (Physics), Jaleel Stubbs (Chemistry), Hope Askew (Energy and Transportation), Caroline Morgan (Zoology), Wesley Rugen (Environmental Sciences), Cody Parsons (Mathematical Sciences), and Alesa Griffy (Medicine and Health). Five students took second-place honors: Sedona Tooley (Environmental Sciences), Evelyn Turner (Biochemistry), Meg Askew (Energy and Transportation), Owen Johnson (Molecular Biology), and McKenzie Maynard (Physics). Seven students took third-place honors: Shelby Pendergrast (Physics), Hunter Galbraith (Biochemistry), Jessica Frederick (Molecular Biology), Grace Pollard (Chemistry), Carter Witt (Energy and Transportation), and Morgan McIntosh (Environmental Sciences), Connor Thomas (Medicine and Health). Three students received Honorable Mentions: John Austin Peay (Engineering), Breyana Washington (Energy and Transportation), Bailey Atkins (Medicine and Health). Two students were honored by Private Organizations: Joshua Morton (E.I. Dupont de Nemours) and Austin Harnage (Harold Buckspan Award for Medicine).
CA students develop their Science Fair ideas within the first month of school and spend the first semester researching their topics, developing procedures, and writing research papers on their topics of choice. They conduct their experiments, collect organize and analyze their data between December and February. They assemble their boards and present their findings to their classmates during the first part of March. On March 13th, set their projects up in the Clarksville Academy gym to showcase their work to fellow students, family, friends and administration.
During MTSEF, students stand with their projects and defend them as judges inspect their work.
The event is open to students from twenty four counties. Six high schools participated this year. The local fair is affiliated with the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest international pre-college science competition.