Over 80 students competed in Hopkinton High School’s Science Fair this past Tuesday, on February 25th.

Students across all grades shared the ingenuity they used in planning and making science, technology, engineering, and math-based projects to judges and the community.

First-time science fair contender and Freshman, Sanketh Udupa, presented his project to judges this year.

Udupa said while conducting the experiment he learned which liquid is the most efficient in reducing carbon dioxide levels, and he gained some insight into the science fair and engineering process along the way.

“I’m glad I did the science fair this year,” Udupa said. “The judges were really optimistic about everyone’s project, more than I thought they would be, and they were very knowledgeable about each of the topics.”

Sophomore Jacob Waxman, returned to the science fair for his second year to display his hard work to the judges.

Waxman’s project this year was designed to recommend different types of probiotics to people with unique gastrointestinal (stomach/small intestine) acidities.

Waxman said that his project taught him about persistence because potential setbacks with the procedure often hindered his progress.

Even with the setbacks, Waxman still thought the project was an overall satisfying experience, enough to make him do it again next year.

“I love the feeling when you have the board done and you step back to look at it, and you’re like ‘Wow, I did a lot of good stuff,’” said Waxman. “I would definitely do it again, maybe continue my project, I just liked it so much.”

Junior Nate Foster, is no stranger to the science fair, coming back for his third year to showcase his project to hundreds of people.

Foster, like many other Science Fair participants, enjoys the experience of designing a procedure to follow and learning something new along the way.

Foster’s interest in computers and engineering led him to choose his Science Fair project this year, which revolved around reducing unnecessary power draw from computers.

“Science Fair is a great opportunity to just try some new things, get some experience in a field you might not be comfortable in, and to just do a project you are passionate about,” Foster said.

He placed in the top 15 projects this year and will be moving on to the regional science fair at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Friday, March 13.

Science fair veteran and senior, Tyler Rhodes, has been a part of the Science Fair for the past four years.

Rhodes has done four different projects, ranging from biology to engineering. His project this year was on the development of green infrastructure to repurpose rainwater and curb urban flooding.

Rhodes finds the science fair to be a rewarding experience because he gets to go through the scientific process and engineer designs to important questions in the world.

“I find it really enjoyable to do projects myself and seeing what other people can do throughout the year. Science air is a really great experience overall,” Rhodes said.

The experience of participating in the scientific process and learning new things is what keeps bringing these students and others like them back each year.