Herons Shine at the Northwest Science Expo
We are so proud to share that five of our middle school Herons recently participated in the Northwest Science Expo (NWSE)—Oregon’s premier state-level science research competition for students in grades 5–12. This prestigious event brings together young scientists from across the state to present original research in a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, environmental science, biology, computer science, and more.
Our students joined more than 600 participants from across Oregon, competing in this rigorous, inquiry-driven event affiliated with the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
We’re thrilled to announce that Josie Ramirez was awarded Best of Fair, the top honor given to just two middle school projects in the entire competition. Her project, Song of the Soil: Soundscape Analysis Across Willamette Valley Ecosystems, also earned 1st Place in Environmental Science, the Outstanding Geoscience Project Award, and a nomination to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
"My favorite thing about the science fair was seeing all of the other projects and seeing the collective ambition and knowledge," said Josie.
Other Marylhurst students also brought home impressive honors:
Molly Grubbs received the Thermo Fisher Advancing Equity through Innovation Award and the Tom Owen Award for Excellence in Statistics for her project: Does Graphic Design Affect Test Scores?
"I enjoyed learning how to improve my project for next time," Molly reflected.
Hadley Miken and Addie Yates earned Third Place in the Animal Science and Microbiology category for their collaborative project: Temperature Dependent Sex-Determination in Chickens.
“Seeing all my friends win awards because they all deserved it,” said Hadley.
Addie shared, “Seeing all of our names pop up on the screen” was a favorite moment.
Remy Ford won the Outstanding Aquatic-Related Environmental Sciences Project Award for his project: Algae in the Winter Willamette.
“Seeing my name on the big screen,” Remy said, was the most exciting part.
We are incredibly proud of all five students—Molly, Hadley, Addie, Remy, and Josie—for the curiosity, creativity, and care they brought to their research. Their work exemplifies the spirit of inquiry-based, student-led learning that is core to our mission at The Marylhurst School.
“One of the most rewarding parts of this process was seeing students discover their own voices as scientists. They weren’t just completing a project—they were making sense of the world around them, and their confidence grew with every observation, every revision, every presentation. I’m so proud of the thoughtful, authentic work they shared,” said Emily Ramirez, Middle School Math & Science Teacher.
Congratulations to our Herons for representing our school with such thoughtfulness, intellect, and heart!
