An Elizabethtown College student judge makes notes on a junior high student’s science fair project.
A group of five Elizabethtown College students and two alumni recently gave back to the local community by serving as judges for the annual Classical Conversations Science Fair held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Elizabethtown on Feb. 15. The group of judges was organized by Elizabethtown College A.C. Baugher Professor of Chemistry James MacKay, who chose students from an array of majors.
“To have Etown students participate as judges in the science fair offers so many benefits for everyone involved,” MacKay said. “It meets a crucial need in the community to bring in judges to score the presentations and distribute awards, while Etown students get a chance to practice the College’s motto of Educate for Service while encouraging the next generation of students in the field that they love.”
Around 20 junior high students from the Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg areas participated in the science fair, showcasing their projects and getting helpful feedback from judges. The event was hosted by Classical Conversations, an international classical Christian homeschool organization.
Etown judges included Physics Education major Alexa Scheetz ’25, Chemistry major Angelina Giglio-Tos ’25, Chemistry major Justin Cosgrove ’25, Engineering major Samuel Senkowicz ’27, Chemistry Education major Ryan Bennet ’28, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major Kaylynn Leap ’23, and Biotechnology major Jackson Dardis ’23.
Students presented their projects to the judges, who gave individualized comments and feedback.
“Events like these are important because kids get to practice public speaking at a young age and are able to apply the scientific method,” Giglio-Tos said. “It’s a great way to share the scientific knowledge that I’ve learned with the kids.”
