Charles Co. Students receive awards, recognitions from 2021 virtual HITS Expo

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held the science and history fair portion of its HITS Expo virtually this year for students. The HITS, or History, Industry, Technology and Science, Expo is an annual CCPS event that combines the display of science and history fair projects with hands-on demonstration and live activities. Due to COVID-19, the in-person portion of the HITS Expo was canceled, but students were still encouraged to enter a science or history fair project for judging.

More than 150 students submitted a science or history fair project for judging this school year. An awards presentation highlighting students chosen for recognition is posted on the CCPS website at https://www.ccboe.com/index.php/virtual-history-day-and-science-fair-awards-program. The following students earned awards for their science fair projects.

Elementary Level Science

• Alaina Harris, fifth grade, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, first place, chemistry category.
• Amari Hall, third grade, Mary B. Neal Elementary School, second place, chemistry category.
• Stephanie Jimenez-Poblano, third grade, J.C. Parks Elementary School, first place, engineering category.
• Mendeleev Magauay, fifth grade, Neal, first place, environmental science category.
• Elysia Young, fifth grade, Malcolm Elementary School, second place, environmental science category.
• Kaley Ellison, third grade, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, first place, life science category.
• Dylan Whetzel, third grade, Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School, second place, life science category.
• Evan Fallings, fifth grade, Dr. Brown, first place, space science category.
• Colton Nadolsky, fifth grade, Mitchell, first place, physics category.
• Keith Battle, fifth grade, William A. Diggs Elementary School, second place, physics category.

Secondary Level Science

• Riley Johnson, sixth grade, Milton M. Somers Middle School, first place, chemistry category.
• Taylor Smith, sixth grade, Matthew Henson Middle School, second place, chemistry category.
• Lucas Steger, sixth grade, Somers, first place, physics category.
• Caroline McKenzie, sixth grade, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, second place, physics category.
• Jada Massey, eighth grade, John Hanson Middle School, first place, engineering category.
• Taylor Mitchell, sixth grade, Somers, first place, engineering category.
• Ethan Harris, seventh grade, Piccowaxen Middle School, first place, life science category.
• Jordin Hunter, sixth grade, Mattawoman Middle School, second place, life science category.
• Nalani Wilson, sixth grade, Henson, second place, medicine and health category.
• Ella Luton, seventh grade, Somers, first place, behavioral science category.
• Peyton Lewis, seventh grade, Henson, second place, behavioral science category.
• Gustavo Salazar-Walker, sixth grade, Davis, second place, environmental science category.

Science Special Awards

• Evan Fallings, Dr. Brown, special award from the La Plata Garden Club.
• Gustavo Salazar-Walker, Davis, special award from the La Plata Garden Club.
• Elysia Young, Malcolm, special award from the College of Southern Maryland (CSM).
• Riley Johnson, Somers, special award from CSM.
• Lucas Steger, Somers, special award from the Charles County Archeological Society of Maryland.

The following students earned awards for their history fair projects.

• Luna Garner, seventh grade, St. Mary’s School, first place, junior division paper category, “Communication Through Song in the Underground Railroad.”
• Jenyah Davis, seventh grade, Mattawoman, second place, junior division paper category, “Communicating Through Expressions in Ballet: The Legacy of Anna Pavlova.”
• Lauren Compton, eighth grade, Piccowaxen, first place, junior division individual website category, “The Culper Codes: Key to the American Revolution.”
• Destiny Dudley, sixth grade, St. Mary’s School, second place, junior division individual website category, “Communication with a Diary.”
• Tyler Bailey, seventh grade, Hanson, first place, junior division individual exhibit category, “Communication in History: The Impact of Telephone Communication in Business.”
• Jeimmy Rivas, seventh grade, Mattawoman, second place, junior division individual exhibit category, “World War II: Letter Writing During the War.”
• Tristan Tonic and Carleigh Watson, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, first place, junior division group exhibit category, “The Invention of Email.”
• Gabriella Beall, Madalyn Earnshaw and Autumn Oestringer, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, second place, junior division group exhibit category, “The Salem Witch Trials.”
• Donovan De La Cruz, Delaney Garner, Gavin Sherman and Johnathan Watson, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, first place, junior division group performance category, “The Invention of the Telegraph.”
• Madison Scott, seventh grade, Piccowaxen, first place, junior division individual documentary category, “The Cuban Missile Crisis.”
• Megan Holcomb, seventh grade, Piccowaxen, second place, junior division individual documentary category, “The Cuban Missile Crisis.”
• Blythe McCammon and Kelsey Njembu, juniors, North Point High School, senior division group documentary category, “Ida B. Wells: Setting the Red Record Straight.”

The following students received special awards for their history fair submissions.

• Donovan Smith, seventh grade, General Smallwood Middle School, “The First of Many: The Silent Parade of 1917,” award from the African American Heritage Society.
• Taylor Ellis, eighth grade, Somers, “How Does the Black Lives Matter Movement Change the Conversation on Systemic Racial Discrimination in America in 2020?” award from the African American Heritage Society.
• Terra Newcamp, seventh grade, Davis, “All About Anne Frank’s Diary: How Her Words Still Live On,” award from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
• Blythe McCammon and Kelsey Njembu, juniors, North Point, “Ida B. Wells: Setting the Red Record Straight,” award from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
• Riley Reigner, seventh grade, Smallwood, “The Code Talkers,” award from the Charles County Archeological Society of Maryland.
• Avelina Londres, seventh grade, Mattawoman, “Communication to Freedom: The Underground Railroad,” award from the Charles County Antique Arts Association.
• Dixie Carr, seventh grade, Smallwood, “The Telephone,” award from the Charles County Heritage Commission.
• Boma Samuel-Horsfall, seventh grade, Davis, “The Two Most Impactful Contributors in Deaf Communication,” award from the Charles County Heritage Commission.
• Doriana Damo, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, “American Spy Techniques of the Revolutionary War,” award from the Ella Virginia Houck Holloway Chapter, U.S. Daughters of 1812.
• Julie Perriello, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, “Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle: Communicating the Need for Reform,” award from the Friendship House Foundation.
• Logan Wachsmuth, seventh grade, Davis, “Cryptography in World War 2,” award from the Friendship House Foundation.
• Madison Harrington, seventh grade, Smallwood, “Morse Code,” award from the Historical Society of Charles County.
• Jacob Waldrop, seventh grade, Henson, “John F. Kennedy and How He Affected Communication,” award from the Historical Society of Charles County.
• Shannon Wenzlick, sixth grade, St. Mary’s School, “Foxhole Radio,” award from the Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority.
• Callyn Knapp, seventh grade, St. Mary’s School, “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” award from the Port Tobacco Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
• Athena Sapp, seventh grade, Hanson, “World War 2: Radio Communication,” award from the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
• Victoria Rosado Reyes, seventh grade, Mattawoman, “Alexander Graham Bell: The Creation of the Telephone,” award from the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).