Even though the year is nearly over, The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Club (PJAS) is continuing to work on their projects.

From May 18 to the 20, the 10 students who got first place in the regional competition will present their research at the state meeting. 

“It’s a significant time commitment because each of them had to perform their own research, and then they had to get their presentation ready and then practice presenting it,” advisor David Borst said. “It’s not part of a class, you know, it’s all after school and on their own time. To follow through and do that takes a lot of responsibility and, you know, they really prepared well, and so we had a really, really good showing at regionals and a lot of our students advanced the state competition.” 

To work on team building and have some fun, nine students alongside club advisers Borst and Megan Kurtruff participated in an escape room at Escape Rooms Altoona. 

“Doing the escape room was really fun,” junior Reyna Ospina Nunes said. “We didn’t have any teachers with us, so we had to depend on each other to figure it out, but we still made it out.”

At the state competition, three seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and one freshman will present to a panel of state judges. 

“It is very gratifying to be able to present since we’ve all put in so much work throughout the year,” sophomore Lana Luke said. 

Other finalists include Andrea Slusser, Josh Lang, Melissa Krainer, Camille Krug and Diego Gil who were all awarded financial prizes at the PJAS meeting at Saint Francis on Feb. 8.

“I am so excited to present because of all of the amazing data I have been able to collect from students at school and from myself,” freshman Lana Luke said. “I have worked months on this project and I’m so excited to be able to show my work and ideas. We have been practicing nonstop at school and I’m so happy for this opportunity.”