Deering High School students recently demonstrated the power of hands-on STEM education. On Saturday, April 12th, Deering's Science Olympiad Club, led for the fourth consecutive year by Mr. Cyle Davenport, and twenty-one students traveled to the University of Maine in Orono for the State Science Olympiad Tournament. 

This event represents a vital platform for high school students across Maine to deepen their engagement with science and technology. Competing against ten other high schools in twenty-three distinct events, the Deering team showcased the culmination of a year's effort in challenges ranging from engineering feats like Helicopter and Wind Power to complex problem-solving in Codebusters and Chemistry Lab.

The intense, all-day competition yielded outstanding results, with Deering High School securing an impressive 4th place overall finish statewide – an indication to the students' skill and the program's strength in its fourth year of state participation. Several students earned individual recognition, bringing home medals across numerous disciplines:

• Gold Medals: Alma Wallace and Bilal Hussein (Air Trajectory); Alma Wallace, Asa Tussing, and Roderick Ariza Jr. (Codebusters); Ellis Retzer and Peter Rank (Geologic Mapping); Asa Tussing and Ellis Wood (Helicopter); Ellis Wood and Peter Rank (Wind Power).
• Silver Medals: Anja Machado and Violet Blum Levine (Chemistry Lab); Alma Wallace and Trieu Chung (Dynamic Planet); Alma Wallace and Trieu Chung (Electric Vehicle); Kelton Streeter and Colin Cook (Entomology); Alma Wallace, Anja Machado, and Violet Blum Levine (Experimental Design); Ellis Retzer and Ellis Wood (Optics).
• Bronze Medals: Sophie Li and Anja Machado (Anatomy and Physiology); Iylarose Willis (Dynamic Planet); Kelton Streeter and Delaney Goodwin (Fossils); Spencer Fieldroy and Violet Blum Levine (Robot Tour).

These achievements underscore the importance of providing robust STEM opportunities that allow students to explore their interests, develop critical thinking skills, and collaborate on complex challenges. Congratulations to all the Deering science olympians! We are incredibly proud of the hard work, intellectual curiosity, and scientific passion you demonstrated this year. 

Your success is a wonderful reflection of your efforts and the value of investing in STEM education and curiosity.