Elizabethtown College’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry hosted the third annual Chem-a-Thon event on April 10, welcoming 35 students from six local area high schools. View photos.
Students from Annville-Cleona, Elizabethtown Area, Hempfield, Manheim Central, Solanco, and Warwick took part in this year’s event.
“This event provides local high schoolers the chance to experience what it is like to be a Chemistry major at Etown,” Dr. Amy Defnet, the event’s coordinator and Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of Chemistry, said. “Events like this are important to the department because they help us build connections with our local high school students, teachers, and administrators.”
The event began with a hands-on “CSI”-themed lab experience in the College’s state-of-the-art laboratories in Musser Hall. Working directly with Etown faculty members and current students, the high schoolers learned college-level experimentation techniques.
The latter half of the day featured a chemistry-based quiz bowl, providing students with a unique chance to exercise their knowledge. Students from Hempfield earned first place in the competition, with winning team members being presented with a scholarship should they choose to pursue their education at Etown.
Chemistry major Mohamed Mourad Fteri Mghari ’29 was a part of last year’s cohort of quiz bowl winners. He is now an active member of the department and served as a volunteer at this year’s event, where he offered high school students the same mentorship and guidance that encouraged him to enroll at Etown.
“Chem‑A‑Thon was the spark I needed to ignite my passion for chemistry, and it’s a big reason why I am at Etown today,” Fteri Mghari said. “Being able to give that same spark to younger students now is incredibly rewarding.”
The day’s activities took place in the College’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Musser Hall, located in the Master’s Center. The laboratories, which were renovated in the summer of 2023, provide ample space to conduct the hands-on research and discovery-based learning activities that are at the core of Etown’s Chemistry and STEM curriculum.
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