Des Plaines student wins science contest
It was Jeopardy, for would-be chemists.
At the fifth annual regional competition of "You Be The Chemist" Challenge nearly 35 middle school students answered questions on everything from electrically charged atoms and electrons, to knowing the difference between chemical elements.
Remarkably, a fifth grader from Iroquois Community School in Des Plaines, emerged the winner out of all the students from the 11 Mount Prospect, Des Plaines and Niles schools.
Haripriya Mehta of Des Plaines is the youngest winner in the history of the five-year competition, and the smallest, says Stan Frey, principal research and development engineer with UOP in Des Plaines, who moderated the competition.
She not only claimed the regional title, the youngster also pocketed the top prize of a $750 savings bond.
"I still can't believe it," Frey said afterward. "There's no exposure to chemistry in fifth grade, so the only exposure she had was what she learned in our study guide. And she's beating these eighth graders."
Placing second and winning a $500 savings bond was seventh grader Dylan Tarver-Anderson of River Trails Middle School in Mount Prospect, while Brandon Leung, an eighth grader at Gemini Junior High School in Niles, finished third and earned a $250 savings bond.
All three students, along with alternate Akash Patel, another Iroquois student, will compete for the state title on April 1, and hope for a shot at the national tournament in Philadelphia in June.
Ben Christolini, research and development vice president for UOP, said he was not surprised that two of the top three students to advance were girls.
"Some of the top chemists around the world are women," Christolini said, noting that last year's three top students were also girls, and three of their last five champions have been girls.
The questioning went on for two hours, on stage at the Prairie Lakes Community Center in Des Plaines. In the audience were nearly 150 family members and teachers who sat mesmerized by the students' knowledge.
Eric Roach, an eighth grader from St. Paul Lutheran School in Mount Prospect was eliminated during an early round, but failed to be discouraged.
"I really like science," said Roach, who also competed on his school's robotics team. "My dad's an environmental engineer, and my brother is studying science in college. I just like to learn how things work."
Another eighth grader, Yasuhiro Omura, from Grove Junior High School in Elk Grove Village, pumped his fists into the air when he advanced during the play-in round for alternates.
"This will help my future in the world of science," he declared. "I love science and learning about everything in the universe, but I especially love chemistry and electricity."
Members of the Chemical Educational Foundation mounted the regional competition for students in the Mount Prospect, Des Plaines and Niles region. Schools were given a 100-question quiz to administer to students to determine the contestants.
Another chemistry challenge will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg.
"We're trying to keep students hooked on science," Christolini said. "When they're young, they're inquisitive and interested in science, but as they approach high school, it's not the cool thing to do."
Ford Sakata, a biologist with Honeywell and another volunteer at the event, said industry members are worried about fielding the next generation of scientists.
"We're running out of engineers, and we're running out of chemists," said Sakata, an Arlington Heights resident. "We figure we have to get them while they're young. By high school, it's too late."