Puerto Rican students win big at STEM Fair

POSTED ON May 21, 2018

Dr. Julia Beatrice Keleher, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, has nothing but praise for the island’s only public school system with 1,113 schools, 345,000 students, and 31,000 teachers.

Keleher said she was extremely pleased with the participation of 19 young people from the Department of Education who competed at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pennsylvania.

“I am proud and satisfied with the awards our students have received in an international competition. They have shown their talent and dedication. I also congratulate the teachers and mentors of the students who have been supporting them from the beginning,” Keleher said in a statement.

“Everyone has the ability to achieve successes like these and more if they propose it. If they follow the same path of these students that we recognize today. Everyone has the power to contribute to the solutions of the problems facing Puerto Rico and the world,” she added.

The students presented 17 engineering, science and technology projects competing with 81 countries and territories.

In the special award category, Laina Sofía Llano Jorge from the Residential Center for Educational Opportunities of Ceiba (CROEC) won the Air Force Research Laboratory Award for her project “The Mosquito Whisperer” that proposes the eradication of the larvae of the ‘Aedes’ aegipty.
Jean Carlos Meléndez of the José Rojas Cortes de Orocovis school also received a special award from Arizona State University for his work on a Homemade Water Purifying System.
Daniel Santiago of the CROEM School was honored with an Honorable Mention Award from the National Security Agency (NSA) for his work on the validity of composite logical functions.

“I reaffirm, as has the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, that our public schools are a great talent and I know we will achieve more achievements as we put at the disposal of students and teachers better resources in the classroom,” Keleher said.