Lurgio Middle School Sweeps First NH You Be the Chemist Challenge

On March 14, more than 20 students from Hillsborough County participated in the first New Hampshire You Be the Chemist (YBTC) Challenge, hosted by Infant Jesus School in Nashua, according to a press statement.

Developed by the Chemical Education Foundation, the Challenge is a national academic question-and-answer competition that encourages students in grades 5-8 to test their knowledge of chemistry and STEM concepts, along with their real-world applications.

Seven students from Ross A. Lurgio Middle School in Bedford qualified to participate in the YBTC Challenge by achieving high scores on a YBTC entrance exam. After several hours and many rounds of eliminations, three of the seven Ross A. Lurgio students landed the top spots. Second runner up went to Gillian Simpson, an eighth grader at Ross A. Lurgio, while first runner up went to seventh-grader Daniel Dong.

Henry Crawford-Eng, an eighth grader at Ross A. Lurgio, emerged as the state winner. He won an expense-paid trip for himself, a parent and an educator to the National YBTC Challenge in Philadelphia, PA on June 22. He will represent New Hampshire at the national competition, where he will join 35 middle-school students as they compete for college scholarships and other coveted prizes. The top four finalists will receive scholarships totaling $15,000 for future educational use.

The YBTC Challenge for Ross A. Lurgio Middle School is organized and coordinated by Amy Rockwell, part-time Enrichment Coordinator.

For further information, e-mail Amy at rockwella@bedfordnhk12.net.

Caption: The NH State YBTC Challenge was held on March 14. The top ranking students from left to right are Daniel Dong, first runner up; Henry Crawford-Eng, state winner; and Gillian Simpson, second runner up.