Eight Local Students Qualified for Colorado Science and Engineering Fair in April

The Colorado Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) was held at Colorado State University, Fort Collins at the Lory Student Center April 7-8. There were 215 projects displayed from students in grades 6-12 from across Colorado. Otero College is the host of the Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair (AVRSF) where the eight students qualified to take their projects to CSEF. They were Makai Chambers, Hoehne; Pace Wallace, Las Animas; Terra McClure, Rocky Ford; Tanner Baker and Jacob Vasquez, Rocky Ford; Drake Coffield-Bamber and Adam Ouattara, La Junta; and Fernanda Pastor-Sepulveda of Rocky Ford, however, she was unable to attend.

Project titles and divisions:

1. Tanner Baker and Jacob Vasquez: Wingin’ It, Physics
2. Makai Chambers: Discovering an Exoplanet, Earth and Space Sciences
3. Drake Coffield-Bamber and Adam Ouattara: Avocadoes So Ripe They’ll Guac Your World, Plant Sciences
4. Terra McClure: Plinko Fun, Math and Computer Sciences
5. Fernanda Pastor-Sepulveda: Heat in Hue, Environmental Sciences
6. Pace Wallace: Wind Erosion, Earth and Space Sciences

Several of these students received awards and placed at CSEF.

1. Makai Chambers won the Little Shop of Physics Award as well as the Pioneers of Science Award. He received a certificate, a backpack and $50.
2. Terra McClure received an Honorable Mention in Math and Computer Sciences.
3. Pace Wallace received the following awards: Colorado Foundation for Ag. Award; the American Meteorological Society – Outstanding Achievement in Atmospheric Sciences Award; the AIPG Certificate of Excellence in the Geosciences, which came with a $75 prize; the Colorado Mineral Society Award; the NASA Earth System Science Award; and the Soil and Water Conservation Society Natural Resource Conservation Award which included $100.

For questions about the Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair, contact Warren McClure at 719-384-6803 or email Warren.McClure@otero.edu.