Banning High School Team Takes Top Prize In
Science Fair at The Aerospace Corporation

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (6/3/04) -- A team of BANNING HIGH SCHOOL students took first place in the high school experiments category of the 27th annual Robert H. Herndon Memorial Science Competition held today at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo.

Members of the winning team were Gracielou Abalos, Richly Chheuy, Roxana Flores, Maritza Franco, Felicia Herrera and Laura Rodriguez. Team members at least 16 years old will be offered paid summer positions at The Aerospace Corporation if they successfully complete the application process. They also will receive $1,000 savings bonds. Their experiment investigated the ecological importance of duckweed, especially with respect to cleaning ponds and lakes.

Placing second in the high school experiments competition was GARDENA HIGH SCHOOL. Team members were Ashley Anderson, Judith Guerrero, Walter Lozano, Diana Michel, Vanessa Monroy, Michelle Porter and Da'Juan Wilson. Their project explored the feasibility of designing and building a rainwater purifier. Team members will receive $500 savings bonds.

The JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL team of Kazi Ahmed, Yang Bai, Ben Goodman, and Augustin Lee captured third place with their design of an autonomous robot. They will be awarded $200 savings bonds.

Christine Rojas of DOMINGUEZ HIGH SCHOOL and Kristine Le of GARDENA HIGH SCHOOL tied for first place in the high school essay competition. Both earned $500 savings bonds and will be offered summer positions. Christine's essay was titled "Reduce the Clamor," while Kristine's was titled "The Disastrous Effects of Water Pollution." No other awards were presented.

Middle Schools

FRANK D. PARENT MIDDLE SCHOOL won first place in the middle school category of the experiments competition for comparing three different possible types of non-polluting automobile engines. Team members were Sean Burke, Daniella Jenkins, Kidost Kebede, Cory Pope, Evan Scoggins, and Joe Wright. JOHN MUIR MIDDLE SCHOOL won second place for demonstrating the benefits of robots. Team members were Leonard Brown, Jose Henriques, and Gilberto Toledo. Parent team members earned $1,000 savings bonds while Muir experimenters earned $500 savings bonds.

Gilberto Toledo of JOHN MUIR won first place in the middle school essay category, earning a $500 savings bond, while Jose Henriques of JOHN MUIR was awarded second place and a $250 savings bond. Toledo's essay was titled "Origins of Earth's Magnetic Field" and Henriques' was titled "Space Invaders."

Students from 10 Los Angeles area schools participated in the event, designed to stimulate interest among minority students in science, engineering, and technology, and to increase diversity across the aerospace industry.