Lake Elsinore Kids Win Awards At RivCo Science & Engineering Fair

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Several students from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District were among the 80 students who won gold medals at the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair last week.

The fair, held March 2-3 at the Riverside Convention Center, featured more than 450 students representing public, private and charter schools, presenting their findings in 365 projects in 19 categories — from Biochemistry and Environmental Sciences to Animal Sciences and Robotics.

Here are the gold medal winners in each category, sorted by grade level — as well as the fair's three sweepstakes winners.

Sweepstakes award winners

• Tessa Stevens, Garreston Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD (Elementary Division, Grades 4-5): Mutant Marigolds
• Rubi Alvarez, St. Catherine of Alexandria (Junior Division, Grades 6-8): Making Wind Turbines More Efficient
• Isabelle Do, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD (Senior Division, Grades 9-12): Investigating OsSxr Nutrient Transporters to Increase Rice Submergence and Drought Resilience via CRISPR-Cas9 Technology

Gold Medal Winners

Grade 4:

• Isha Arya, Temescal Valley Elementary, Corona-Norco USD
• Alexander Calistru, Temescal Valley Elementary, Corona-Norco USD
• Bryce Hill, James Monroe Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• Siddhesh Jakkaraju, James E. Carter Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• Jaylen Lewis, Three Rings Ranch Elementary School, Beaumont USD
• Carter Metcalf, James Monroe Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• Quinn Peterson, Ruth Brown Elementary School, Palo Verde USD
• Michael Serrano, Megan Cope Elementary School, San Jacinto USD
• Nathaniel Sloup, Ridge Crest Elementary School, Moreno Valley USD
• Koa Stahley, Triple Crown Elementary School, Val Verde USD
• Jillian Tolliver, Jose Antonio Estudillo Elementary School, San Jacinto USD
• Lincoln Usher, Eastvale Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Dexter Wooldridge, Anna Hause Elementary School, Beaumont USD

Grade 5:

• Aidan Abandonato, Wilson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Desirae Bailey, The Journey School
• Danni Brasher, Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Ami Cabezut-Johnson, Taft Elementary School, Riverside USD
• Valerie Cisneros, Oasis Elementary School, Coachella Valley USD
• Brooklyn Conner, Highland Academy Charter School
• Jacob Eideh, Earl Warren Elementary School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Madison Hiraoka, Mark Twain Elementary School, Riverside USD
• Edward Hunter, Earl Warren Elementary School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Sophie Jiang, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Riverside USD
• Helena Jimenez, Oasis Elementary School, Coachella Valley USD
• Amar'e Mullen, Brookside Elementary School, Beaumont USD
• Yunnuen Orozco Sanchez, Oasis Elementary School, Coachella Valley USD
• Gerardo Pantoja, Mission Bell Elementary School, Jurupa USD
• Giovanni Ramirez, Mission Bell Elementary School, Jurupa USD
• Jonathan Ramirez, Ronald Reagan Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• Marley Roughton, Triple Crown Elementary School, Val Verde USD
• Andre Simpliciano, Promenade Elementary School, Alvord USD
• Tessa Stevens, Garreston Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Aiden Stinson, Clara Barton Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD

Junior Division, Grades 6-8:

• Rubi Alvarez, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Esthela Ayala-Vargas, Bobby Duke Middle School, Coachella Valley USD
• Heidi Bishop, Elsinore Middle School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Dayanara Ceja, Bobby Duke Middle School, Coachella Valley USD
• Cameron Conner, Highland Academy Charter School
• Adithi Ganesan, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Leonardo Garcia, Bobby Duke Middle School, Coachella Valley USD
• Nicholas Gomez, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Ishan Gonehal, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD
• Emily Hinsley, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD
• Andrew Hse, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Alex Ivanov, San Gorgonio Middle School, Beaumont USD
• Juliana Jimenez, Glen Avon Elementary School, Jurupa USD
• Katelynn Klopp, Elsinore Middle School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Kaitlyn Martinez, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Gwyneth McIntyre, Springs Charter Schools
• Hope Messer, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD
• Raleigh Paunil, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Ava Rodriguez, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
• Anthony Saade, Mountain View Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
• Jetta Vogel, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD
• Garrett Yu, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD

Senior Division, Grades 9-12:

• Konmal Ali, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Eric Bi, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Anubhav Chandla, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Curtis Chen, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Allison Cocker, John W. North High School, Riverside USD
• Catherine Dinh, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Isabelle Do, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Dimple Garuadapuri, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Gabrielle Glumalid, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Jeremy Horta, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Jeewan Kaur, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Nicholas Keenan, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Rishiswaran Kongari, John W. North High School, Riverside USD
• Ellorie Mariano, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Arnauld Martinez, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD
• Lavie Nguyen, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Nathan Pietrantonio, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Anisha Prasad, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Aisha Randhawa, Corona High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Thomas Rife, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Joanne Teh, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Anthony Villegas, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD
• August Wetterau, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Enoch Xu, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD
• Carey Yoon, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

2020 Broadcom Masters Nominees

• Rubi Alvarez, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Esthela Ayala-Vargas, Bobby Duke Middle School, Coachella Valley USD
• Nathan Barber, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Heidi Bishop, Elsinore Middle School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Kiya Bonney, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD
• Zachary Brasher, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Dayanara Ceja, Bobby Duke Middle School, Coachella Valley USD
• Cameron Conner, Highland Academy Charter School
• Adithi Ganesan, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Leonardo Garcia, Bobby Duke Middle School, Coachella Valley USD
• Nicholas Gomez, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Ishan Gonehal, Riverside STEM Academy, Riverside USD
• Emily Hinsley, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD
• Andrew Hse, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Alex Ivanov, San Gorgonio Middle School, Beaumont USD
• Juliana Jimenez, Glen Avon Elementary School, Jurupa USD
• Katelynn Klopp, Elsinore Middle School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Lucas Lam, Elsinore Middle School, Lake Elsinore USD
• Kaitlyn Martinez, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Gwyneth McIntyre, River Springs Charter School, Springs Charter Schools
• Hope Messer, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD
• Raleigh Paunil, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Lara Randhawa, Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• Ava Rodriguez, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
• Anthony Saade, Mountain View Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
• Serena Uribe, San Jacinto Leadership Academy, San Jacinto USD
• Jetta Vogel, Matthew Gage Middle School, Riverside USD
• Garrett Yu, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD

Community Awards

California Association of Professional Scientists

• Certificate and scholarship for $100 – Rubi Alvarez, St. Catherine of Alexandria

Chemistry and Air Pollution Research Center at University of California Riverside

• Trophy and $50 gift card – Zachary Brasher, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
• Trophy and $50 gift card – Ryan Drake, Rancho Christian School

Inland Geological Society

• Certificate of Merit and $100 scholarship – Joanne Teh and Nathan Pietrantonio, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

Mojave Environmental Education Consortium

• $50 gift card– Ian Bachant, John W. North High School, Riverside USD

Inland Empire Professional Engineers in California Government

• $250 – Siddhesh Jakkaraju, James E. Carter Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
• $750 – Rubi Alvarez, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• $1,000 – Jeewan Kaur, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD

Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP)

• $50 – Tessa Stevens, Garretson Elementary School, Corona-Norco USD
• $125 – Rubi Alvarez, St. Catherine of Alexandria
• $250 – Isabelle Do, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Affiliated Regional Awards (awards provided as part of affiliation with INTEL ISEF):

American Meteorological Society

• Ryan Drake, Rancho Christian School
• Jessica Yin, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

American Psychological Association

• Emily Hinsley, John Glenn Middle School, Desert Sands USD

ASM Materials Education Foundation

• Brian Barraza, Noel Jasso, and David Reyes, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD

Association for Women Geoscientists

• Jayda Brooks and Makayla Wilbrooks, Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde USD

The Lemelson Foundation

• Jayda Brooks and Makayla Wilbrooks, Lakeside Middle School, Val Verde USD

Mu Alpha Theta

• Enoch Xu, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

NASA Earth System Science Award

• Natalie Araujo and Melissa Perez, Coachella Valley High School, Coachella Valley USD

NOAA

• Giovanni Gonzalez and Juan Torres, Oasis Elementary School, Coachella Valley USD

Ricoh

• Jazmin Mina and Joachim Marcus Belarmino, Hillcrest High School, Alvord USD

Society for In Vitro Biology

• Curtis Chen, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Jessica Yin, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside USD

U.S. Metric Association

• Tenzing Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD

Stockholm Jr Water Prize

• Sebastian DeLaPena-Kenley and Gabriel DeLaPena-Kenley, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco USD
• Zubin Carvalho, Western Center Academy, Hemet USD
• Arti Patel, Centennial High School, Corona-Norco USD

Yale Science and Engineering Association

• Hayden Benham, Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore USD