A combined team of 18 outstanding students from St. Croix Central High School and the St. Croix Educational Complex High School aptly represented their island at the Pre-College Research Symposium in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday, May 11.
The students, members of the St. Croix Research Academy, were engaged in actual scientific, investigative research work for 16 weeks. They conducted study at a high level and picked up skills as real scientific researchers before participating in the San Juan Symposium. Juanita Boneque, St. Croix mathematics coordinator and program coordinator for the Academy, accompanied the students.
“This is the second time that our students have competed in this scientific venture and have done an outstanding job,” Boneque said Monday upon returning to St. Croix. “We participated in the Fall Symposium and again this spring. Our students are ready and we feel confident that they have gained the skills necessary to compete with anyone in their category globally.”
The topics investigated included: Re-Cycle Re-Use Rum Waste; Beat the House; Dare 2 Read; Coral Reefs: Comparing Rate Growth; Healthy Coral Restoration Rates; The Ultimate Fertilizer; Random Chance and Traffic Jam.
“Our students competed with over 350 students from the region and the nation; three of our 9th graders (Acassia Ferguson, Leah Achille and Natasha Sinanan) entries were among the best 20 poster presentations. This award affords them the opportunity to apply for summer research at a leading college or university in the nation. The value of such an award is approximately $8,000. We are proud of all the work the students were engaged in, especially our poster winner: The Ultimate Fertilizer,” Boneque added. “I extend heartfelt gratitude to the hardworking mentors, Rosa White, David Mattera and Kemit Lewis for working feverishly with these students during the program.”
For more information on the St. Croix Research Academy or the Pre-College Research Symposium in San Juan, contact Juanita Boneque at 778-1600, ext. 7054.