Twelve MMI Preparatory School students participated in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) state competition in May on the Penn State Main Campus. Six earned first awards, six won second awards, and one earned an Outstanding Junior Award.

Jessica Zheng (Jim Thorpe) earned the Outstanding Junior Award and a first award.  Diane-Arias Tejeda (Hazleton), Olivia Bartholomew (Jim Thorpe), Jillian McGeehin (Sugarloaf), Amelia Minzola (Drums), and Grace Warner (Drums) all earned first awards.

MMI’s Second Award winners were: Khristian Banks (Mountain Top), Thomas Horvat (Drums), Nathaniel Neidlinger (Weatherly), Kiyan Paknezhad (Mountain Top), Dustin Paul (Jim Thorpe), and David Yamulla (Sugarloaf).

Dustin Paul was awarded a Perseverance Award for his six years of participation. Amelia Minzola, Jillian McGeehin, and Jessica Zheng were all honored with Perseverance Awards for their five years of participation. Olivia Bartholomew and Grace Warner were honored for their four years of participation.

MMI instructors Amanda Shonk, Melissa McHale, Michael Mele, and Justin Vincent served as advisors for the competition.

The PJAS competition is open to students in grades 7-12. During the PJAS state competition, students present their first award winning research projects from the regional competition to a varied pane of judges in one of the 13 Scientific Categories of Research identified by PJAS. The categories are: Behavioral Psychology, Biology, Biochemistry, Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth and Space, Ecology, Engineering, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and Zoology.

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