Staples High School is proud to announce exceptional achievements by our students at recent prestigious science competitions, demonstrating our school's commitment to excellence in STEM education.

Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (CT-JSHS)

Staples High School sent two talented students to compete at the Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (CT-JSHS) on February 25, 2025. With over 115 applicants statewide, only 16 students were selected for oral presentations and 20 for poster presentations.

Will Boberski distinguished himself with an outstanding oral presentation, earning 5th place overall. Will now serves as an alternate to the National JSHS meeting. Nolan Francis also represented our school with excellence as a selected poster presenter.

Connecticut State Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF)

In an impressive display of scientific talent, all four Staples High School students who participated in the Connecticut State Science and Engineering Fair in early March were named finalists—placing them in the top 20% among over 250 projects judged statewide.

Our Distinguished Finalists

Will Boberski (Class of 2025) earned first honors in both the Life Science and Biotechnology categories. His project, "The Effect of Diet on Lifespan, Tumor Burden and Wnt Signaling in a Drosophila Apc1/Apc2-RasV12 Model of Colorectal Cancer," won 2nd place in Biotechnology. Most notably, Will has been selected as one of only seven students from Connecticut to attend the International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio this May with all expenses paid—an extraordinary honor representing the pinnacle of high school scientific achievement.

 

 

 

Nolan Francis (Class of 2026) was recognized as a medalist in the Biotechnology category for his project, "Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Muscle Function in C. elegans with a Mutation in the Dystrophin Gene." He also received a special award from the National Society of In Vitro Biology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexis Krenzer (Class of 2025) earned first honors in the Life Science Category, placing an impressive 5th out of 161 students. Her project, "The Effect of the Nutritional Supplement, Curcumin, on Vulval Induction in C. Elegans to Determine its Potential Role in Epidermal Growth Factor Driven Cancers," also won the RNP Regenerative Medicine Excellence Award.

 

 

 

 

 

Sienna Young (Class of 2025) was recognized as a medalist with first honors in the Life Science Category for her project, "Effect of dietary sweeteners on lipid accumulation in obese C. elegans to evaluate if calorie-free sweeteners promote weight reduction."

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair

The Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair is a prestigious annual competition open to 7th through 12th grade students in Connecticut and several New York border towns. As a charter member of the International Science and Engineering Fair, CSEF draws from over 100 school fairs, with more than 12,000 students competing for just 600 spaces at the state level.

The fair aims to develop interest in science and engineering careers among young people by recognizing their achievements and offering opportunities to interact with scientists and engineers. The program nurtures scientific interest from middle school through high school, emphasizing scientific and engineering methodologies while fostering strong communication skills.

Staples High School congratulates these outstanding students on their remarkable achievements and thanks the dedicated science faculty who supported their research endeavors.