Edgar Romero, a seventh grader at Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School, spent weeks working on his science project, testing the effectiveness of disinfecting wipes to wipe out germs on contact surfaces.
Romero wiped and swabbed surfaces in his home to determine if store-brand wipes worked better than brand-name wipes. He also investigated how long a cleaner should stay on a surface to effectively kill germs, ranging from 15 seconds to four minutes.
Romero’s hard work paid off. Not only did he conclude that store-brand wipes were just as effective at killing germs as name-brand wipes after four minutes, but his project placed second in the microbiology category at the Socorro Independent School District’s 2023 middle school science fair on December 9.
“I just like the experience,” said Romero, who also competed in SISD’s middle school science fair in 2022. His passion for science has been complemented by his involvement in theater and various after-school clubs. “Not only do those (activities) help me with presenting, but presenting at the science fair helps me with those after school activities, too,” he added.
About 350 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students showcased their science projects at the annual districtwide fair. Projects were split into 21 different categories.
Cindy Apodaca, SISD secondary science instructional officer, said the science fair allowed students to explore their interests and think about future careers in science.
“I think science overall is central to life,” Apodaca said. “If we get our students engaged and we get them interested in science at a very young age, who knows, there might be future engineers, future chemists, biologists, microbiologists, so I think this is the foundation that we’re building for them.”
John Drugan School seventh-grader Serenity Valles has competed in the SISD science fairs since elementary school. Her most recent project focused on the efficacy of penicillin in people of different weights and heights.
The future biomedical engineer said the science fair was an opportunity for her to share her research findings with the public.
“What I like the most is presenting and showing the judges what I can do with my brain,” Valles said.
2023 SISD Middle School Science Fair Winners
Animal Sciences
1st place – Lilian Harman, Ernesto Serna Fine Arts Academy
2nd place – Nia Jimenez, John Drugan School
3rd place – Aaliya Medina, Eastlake Middle School
Behavioral and Social Sciences
1st place – Brielle Cameron, Hurshel Antwine Middle School
2nd place – Donatella Aparicio, Sun Ridge Middle School
3rd place – Layla Bautista, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
Biochemistry
1st place – Sebastian Carrillo, John Drugan School
2nd place – Jessica Quemado, Sun Ridge Middle School
3rd place – Andre Miranda, Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School
Biomedical and Health Sciences
1st place – Mayu Watabe, Montwood Middle School
2nd place – Annalissa Aguilera, Hurshel Antwine Middle School
3rd place – Dylan Abigail Gallarzo and April Hernandez, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
Biomedical Engineering
1st place – Landon Tran, John Drugan School
2nd place – Cardenas Issac, Desert Wind School
3rd place – Adrianna Corral, Bill Sybert School
Cellular and Molecular Biology
1st place – Andy Rivera, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
2nd place – Margaret Jones, John Drugan School
3rd place – Ariell Almeraz, Desert Wind School
Chemistry
1st place – Raphael Artuso, John Drugan School
2nd place – Zachariah Chabre, SSG. Manuel R. Puentes Middle School
3rd place – Gavin Aguilar, Montwood Middle School
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
1st place – Aiden Ibarra, John Drugan School
2nd place – Kevin Olivas, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
3rd place – Serinity Ornelas, William D. Slider Middle School
Earth and Environment Sciences
1st place – Gabriella Garay, Sun Ridge Middle School
2nd place – Zoe Villela, Sun Ridge Middle School
3rd place – Graciela Gamez, William D. Slider Middle School
Embedded Systems
1st place – Trinity Seelig, Eastlake Middle School
2nd place – Daniela Chavez, John Drugan School
3rd place – Jose Patino, Sun Ridge Middle School
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
1st place – Francisco Castaneda, William D. Slider Middle School
2nd place – Oscar Gallardo, Eastlake Middle School
3rd place – Aeden Diaz, William D. Slider Middle School
Engineering Technology: Statistics and Dynamics
1st place – Richard Martinez and Jacob Pinon, SSG. Manuel R. Puentes Middle School
2nd place – Matthew Soto and Paulina Carrillo Flores, Spc. Rafael Hernando Middle School
3rd place – Jerrald Antwine, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
Environmental Engineering
1st place – Francis Repato, John Drugan School
2nd place – Jannavel Jolley, John Drugan School
3rd place – Celeste Trujillo, SSG. Manuel R. Puentes Middle School
Materials Science
1st place – Vivian Vasquez, SSG. Manuel R. Puentes Middle School
2nd place – Laila Rodriguez-Gomez, John Drugan School
3rd place – Gabriel Olivas, John Drugan School
Mathematics
1st place – Nina Garcia, Socorro Middle School
2nd place – Zoe Andazola, Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School
3rd place – Federico Cortinas, Desert Wind School
Microbiology
1st place – Payton Alanis Tejeda, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
2nd place – Edgar Romero, Capt. Walter E. Clarke Middle School
3rd place – Kayleigh Tyson, Bill Sybert School
Physics and Astronomy
1st place – Alejandro Fernandez, SSG. Manuel R. Puentes Middle School
2nd place – Jesse Rodriguez, John Drugan School
3rd place – Gianna Gilbert, John Drugan School
Plant Sciences
1st place – Skyler Thompson, John Drugan School
2nd place – Adam Martinez, William D. Slider Middle School
3rd place – Ariadna Elias, Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
Robotics and Intelligent Machines
1st place – Santiago Galindo, John Drugan School
2nd place – Darcy Aranda, William D. Slider Middle School
3rd place – Yahir Sarabia, John Drugan School
Systems Software
1st place – Angela Galindo, John Drugan School
2nd place – Russell Polhemus, Bill Sybert School
3rd place – Kanye Lucas, Sun Ridge Middle School
Translational Medical Science
1st place – Vianney Ramirez, William D. Slider Middle School
2nd place – Alejandra Rodriguez, Desert Wind School 3rd place – Cynthia Baca, Desert Wind School