Kearney Junior High eighth-grade scientists brought home a wave of accolades from the 2025 Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair, held March 26–28 at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.

Guided by Project Lead the Way teacher Rachel Cerra, the KJH team represented the Bulldog community with curiosity, creativity and commitment to excellence. Competing against hundreds of students from across the metro, KJH students earned top academic honors, special recognitions, and multiple gold and silver project ratings for their innovative scientific investigations.

“We are incredibly proud of these students,” said Rachel Cerra, KJH’s Project Lead the Way instructor. “They worked hard to ask meaningful questions, design smart experiments and communicate their findings with confidence. It was a joy to see their work recognized alongside the region’s best young scientists.”

🏆 Academic Award Winners

• Bentley Anderson – 1st Place, Earth & Environmental Science ($100)
• Jack Anderson – 1st Place, Engineering ($100)
• Malachi Smith – 1st Place, Chemistry ($100)
• Anabelle Krehbiel – 2nd Place, Microbiology ($75)

🌟 Special Recognition

• Bentley Anderson – Honorable Mention, U.S. EPA Region 7 Excellence in Environmental Science
• Jack Anderson – Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge Nominee
• Malachi Smith – Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovator Challenge Nominee
• Anabelle Krehbiel – Dr. F. Gene Hampton Award ($100)

🥇 Gold-Rated Projects

The following students received Gold Ratings—the highest recognition—for their projects:

• Bentley Anderson – The Effect of Type of Plastic on the Speed of Degradation of the Plastic
• Jack Anderson – The Effect of the Blade Area Ratio on the Amount of Thrust Produced
• Grant Buhman – The Effect of the Type of Substance Used on the Spin Rate of a Baseball
• Alaina Campbell – The Effect of Molecular Weight on the Biodegradation of Plastics
• Johnna Cory – The Effect of the Type of Soda on the Duration of a Mentos Geyser
• Emma Cox – The Effect of the Type of Bread on the Amount of Mold Grown
• Greta Grice – The Effect of the Type of Detergent on the Ability to Remove a Stain
• Caden Harrold – The Effect of the Size of a Hot Air Balloon on the Rate at Which It Rises
• Anabelle Krehbiel – The Effect of the Type of Cell on the Decellularization Rate
• Maggie Rinehart – The Effect of the Type of Ash Additive on the Strength of a Brick
• Malachi Smith – The Effect of the Type of Flour Used on the Volume of a Muffin
• Tinzley Suppes – The Effect of the Type of Cleaner and Surface Used on the Amount of Bacteria
• Kate Vanderstel – The Effect of the Environment on the Growth of Fragaria ananassa

🥈 Silver-Rated Projects

Several students also earned Silver Ratings for their strong scientific work:

• Sofie Boguske – The Effect of the Temperature of DNA on the Accuracy of Fingerprint Separation
• Tatum Grassley – The Effect of the Age of a Person on Reaction Time
• Kendyl Schafer – The Effect of the Type of Liquid on the Mass of a Tooth
• Elayna Viox – The Effect of the Source of the Water on the pH and Turbidity Levels

The Greater Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair is one of the largest STEM fairs in the Midwest. Learn more about the event at unionstation.org.

Congratulations to all our student scientists!