Solorsano Sweeps Science Fair

Ten students walk away with awards
Gilroy – Meghan Carvalho was curious: does a student’s work ethic change in the face of a potential reward?

The 13-year-old wanted to know, but any old answer wouldn’t suffice. Carvalho wanted one based on the drawn-out process of scientific investigation.

Once she found 40 willing volunteers, the Solorsano Middle School student divided them by age into two separate groups of 10. To ensure that the control group in the experiment was parallel, all of the participants were girls.

Before they began the project, Group A was informed that a prize awaited the winner while Group B was told that an award would not be given to the fastest group. The result was what many would have predicted, the mice wanted the cheese.

“Group A went faster,” Carvalho said.

Yeah, but by how much?

“33 and 1/3 percent,” she said.

And apparently the pot of gold scenario had some influence on the Solorsano students who managed to walk away with a bevy of awards at Sunday’s Synopsis Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship Awards.

Ten of the 28 students Dawn O’Connor sent to the annual event received awards, which for some included cash prizes and for all, a free class trip to Paramount’s Great America. Four of the winners – seventh graders Heather O’Connor, Carvalho, Colin Gavin and Marissa Ahmadkahni – all won first place and will head to the state competition in May.

O’Connor’s project examined fluid dynamics and she spent from 60 to 70 hours of testing and calculation. The high level math required helped propel her 13-year-old daughter’s project to first place, Dawn O’Connor explained.

Dawn O’Connor is a Solorsano science teacher, the science fair coach and Heather’s mother.

Ahmadkahni, 12, tested the effect of toxins in run-off water. The 12-year-old decided to use golf courses for the experiment so she could test the water above and below.

Colin Gavin, 12, looked at the antibiotic resistance in cell lines by treating one set of cells with the antibiotic and then exposing both sets cells to antibodies.

Gavin is an anomaly. As the lone boy to take home an award centered around engineering, math and science, three disciplines not well represented by women across the nation, Dawn O’Connor’s own classroom is unique.

Other boys entered the contest this year, the second Solorsano has participated in, they just didn’t win, the science teacher said. The group of girls, are obviously proud of their achievement, but they don’t appear to be surprised.

They quickly rattle off the professions of their parents, engineers, doctor, nurse, architect.

“Our girls here are really strong leaders,” Dawn O’Connor said. “They have strong personalities, they’re willing to take risks and put themselves out there.”

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