Two Okaloosa County middle school students captured first-place finishes at the State Science and Engineering Fair held in early April, leading a group of 15 district participants who collectively brought home 16 awards.
Brantley Lane, an 8th-grade student at Okaloosa STEMM Academy, took first place in his category and was named one of only four recipients of the Ying Scholar Award, a “Best in Show” honor for middle school projects. The Grand Award recognition includes a commemorative plaque and a $500 prize.
Benjamin Nusimow, an 8th-grader at Ruckel Middle School, won first place in Biomedical and Health Sciences – Junior Division. He also received the Northeast Florida Regional Science and Engineering Fair Award for his project, “Spot the Spot: Creating a More Efficient Skin Cancer Logistic Regression Model by Using Geometric Representations.”
- The statewide competition drew 716 student projects, with about 430 in the Senior Division. Twelve of the 15 Okaloosa students who competed earned awards, including special recognitions with certificates and cash prizes ranging from $25 to $100.
“This is a huge accomplishment to make it to a state-level competition,” said Jennifer Cook, OCSD Science Fair Coordinator and career and technical education instructor. “I am so proud of all of our students and so excited for those who heard their names called for an award at State.”
Category winners included:
- Aimi Frasca, Northwest Florida Ballet Académie – 3rd place in Environmental Engineering
- Arianna Lopez, Northwest Florida Ballet Académie – Recognition in Intelligent Machines, Robotics and Systems Software
- Ian Allen, Niceville High School – Recognition in Physics and Astronomy
- Anna Claire Belk, STEMM Academy – Recognition in Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Nolan Kirk, STEMM Academy – Suwannee Valley Award and recognition in Plant Sciences
- Moira Reyenga, STEMM Academy – 4th place in Environmental Engineering
These awards were selected by subject area experts and professionals, honoring the top performers in each field.
Special award recipients included:
- Alexis Cole, Niceville High School – Monroe Marine Conservation Award in Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Aviana Sheldon, Ruckel Middle School – Manatee Regional Award in Physics and Astronomy
- Calvin Fortner, STEMM Academy – Brevard South Award and recognition in Engineering
- Ryan Gregg, STEMM Academy – Honorable mention in Engineering
These awards recognize students who demonstrated excellence across a range of criteria, further highlighting their achievements.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers praised the students’ performance. “We are incredibly proud of these students for their hard work, curiosity, and excellence,” Chambers said. “Their success reflects not only their dedication, but also the support of their teachers, families, and schools. These achievements showcase the high-quality learning in Okaloosa County.”
