Salem New Liberty Student Achieves State Science Honors

SALEM, MA — A New Liberty Innovation School sophomore represented Salem at the Massachusetts Science and Engineering State Fair, becoming the fifth student from the school to reach the state level in the past three years.

Jailyn Serrano qualified for the event after her project, "How Does Temperature Affect Medicinal Production in Fungi," earned high marks at the MSEF Region IV Science Fair on March 14 at Tufts University.

The state fair was held at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Serrano's project examined how fungi produce different types of medicines and how heat affects fungi growth. She predicted that aspergillus niger would show higher growth at higher temperatures than penicillium chrysogenum and would be the preferred fungus to use for medications as the Earth warms.

Serrano said the experience stood out for both the competition and the chance to meet other students.

"My experience at the state fair was really exciting and something I'll always remember," she said. "At first, I was very nervous because there were so many talented students there, and the projects were really impressive. Since I was the only student from my school attending, it felt a little intimidating, but it also made me feel proud to represent Salem and my school.

"One of the things I liked most was being able to talk to other students about their projects and seeing how passionate everyone was about science and research. I also liked seeing how many different types of STEM projects people created."

Serrano said she spent two months researching the project and developing her hypothesis. She then refined her presentation for the state competition.

"There were many times during my project when I doubted myself or worried that my project wasn't good enough," she said. "I learned that science takes patience, problem-solving, and persistence. I also learned how important communication is, especially when presenting research to judges and answering questions."

This was the third straight year a New Liberty student has earned the state honors.

Last year, then-sophomore Nevin Lebron and then-freshman Christopher Lemus represented the school at the state fair at Gillette Stadium, while Tyrone Manifold and Shanay Love, now seniors, represented the school in 2024.

"We are incredibly proud to celebrate Jailyn for her outstanding achievement in advancing to the Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair," said Brenda Goodrum, STEM educator at New Liberty. "Representing our school at the state level is no small accomplishment, and she did so with confidence, curiosity, and determination."