Students place at state science competition
Nine middle- and high-school students were recognized in early April for their accomplishments in science. These students placed at both the regional and state Science and Engineering fairs.
The junior division included students from both Westwood and Lincoln middle schools. Among these was eighth grader Abhith Kasala, who placed first in the division. Kasala’s project focused on global plastic pollution. His first-place entry landed him a nomination for the 2022 Broadcom MASTERS competition. 
Students in the senior division landed high-ranking titles at the competition as well. Akash Verma of Eastside High School won the highest honor in the Biomedical and Health Sciences category. His project’s success landed him an $80,000 scholarship from the Florida Institute of Technology, along with special recognition from the U.S. Air Force.
The students were recognized at the O’Connell Center’s Orange and Blue room. The event featured speakers from the district and the University of Florida.
Also in attendance was Himal Bamzai-Wokhl, a junior at Buchholz High School. Bamzai-Wokhl plans to represent the district in May at the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.
Not only did Bamzai-Wokhl receive top honors in the Alachua County event, but she will now attend the international competition. Her project “COVID 19 Detection on Chest X-Ray Using an Enhanced Neural Network” was recognized by the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists.
While these three students went on to place first in the state science fair competition, there are many other Alachua County students recognized at the recognition event.
In the junior division, Audrey Hertel, Maggie Gao and Surya Vaddiparti-Varma were recognized for their accomplishments in science. In the senior division, Luke Xu, Benjamin Joseph and Angela Gao were also celebrated. Page Break