Northshore High School student wins Region 8 Science Fair

Judah Fastring of Northshore High School was the overall senior winner of the 2025 Region 8 Science Fair at Southeastern Louisiana University Feb. 7. His winning project, “Annealing PLA 3D Prints,” received first place honors in the engineering mechanics category.

Bringing home overall winner honors in the junior division were Dylan Mankinen of Northshore Preparatory Academy with her project “The Effect of Ball Pressure on the Velocity of a Kicked Ball” in the physics and astronomy category, and homeschool student Adam Lorenzen with his project “Optimal Chaos: Exploring the Chaos Game with Midpoints and Vertices” in the mathematical sciences category.

All first and second place regional winners will advance to the state science fair later this spring at Louisiana State University.

Additional Science Fair winners, listed by school, were:
COURTNEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL– Landen Mack, first, chemical and physical energy; Emmalean Cortez, second, biomedical and health sciences; Caleb Davis, second, chemical and physical energy; Garrett Gagliano and Brady Ballay, second, chemistry; Claire Dupas, third, chemistry; Rayna Nelson, third, behavioral and social science; Rhett Morgan, engineering mechanics.

HOMESCHOOL – Adam Lorenzen, first, mathematical science.

NORTHLAKE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL – Emily Cuccia, first, behavioral and social science; Aiden O’Connor, second, behavioral and social science; Annabelle Alcorn, third, animal science; Garrett Dozier, third, microbiology; Kolton Vicknair, third, Earth and environmental sciences; Andrew Catt, honorable mention, physics and astronomy; Ella Hymel, biomedical and health sciences and Ellie Leonard, honorable mention, biomedical and health sciences.

NORTHSHORE PREPARATORY ACADEMY – Dylan Mankinen, first, physics and astronomy.

OUR LADY OF LOURDES – Chase Miller, first, animal science; Emma O’Rourke, first, biomedical and health sciences; and Jake Bode, honorable mention, animal science.

SAINT HELENA COLLEGE AND CAREER ACADEMY – Jordan Barnes, Tristan Hookfin and Cassidy Kaho, honorable mention, Earth and environmental sciences; Alaysia Downing, Y’Daijah Lewis and Ja’miya Travis, honorable mention, behavioral and social sciences; and Alani Gordan, honorable mention; engineering mechanics.

SAINT PETER CATHOLIC SCHOOL – Jenna AbiRafeh, second, computer science; Olivia Hardley, second, chemistry; Kyle Dunaway, third, plant science; and Caroline Jenkins, honorable mention, plant science.

SOUTHEASTERN LABORATORY SCHOOL – Emma Correa Gonzalez, second, Earth and environmental sciences; Ashlyn Weaver, second, animal science; Claire Bennett, third, chemistry; Daniel Ciolacu, third, physics and astronomy; Lily Dykes, third, chemical and physical energy; Cooper Phinney, third, chemistry; Sophia Stoulig, third, engineering mechanics; Monroe Thomas, third, biomedical and health sciences; Keegan Encalade, honorable mention, microbiology; Turner Henry, honorable mention, Earth and environmental science; Makenzie Russell-Lizarga, honorable mention, chemical and physical energy; and D’aaryn Stimage, honorable mention, behavioral and social sciences.

SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Winners at the 2025 Region 8 Science Fair held at Southeastern Louisiana University Feb. 7 included, from left, Emma O’Rourke of Our Lady of Lourdes; Judah Fastring of Northshore High School; Landon Mack of Courtney Christian School; Dylan Mankinen of Northshore Preparatory Academy; Adam Lorenzen, homeschool; and Emily Cuccia of Northlake Christian School.