Westlake 7th Grader Takes 3rd In Chemistry Contest

WESTLAKE, OH — Seventh grader Mantas Viazmitinas is really good at chemistry. So good, in fact, that he recently finished third in the statewide You Be the Chemist Challenge. The contest was held April 29 in Toledo.

You Be the Chemist is designed for students in grades 5-8, and encourages students to explore chemistry in real-world applications. The contest is sponsored by the Chemical Education Foundation.

Viazmitinas and other seventh- and eighth-grade students took part in a question and answer contest in January. The top nine students from Lee Burneson Middle School moved on to the regional contest at the Great Lakes Science Center in March. Eight Greater Cleveland area schools took part in that contest.

Viazmitinas placed fourth at the regional contest, qualifying him for state competition. He took third at the state challenge and the top state qualifiers will move on to a national challenge.

A Westlake alum provided support for Viazmitinas as he moved through the regional and state contests. Brendan Michel, a Westlake resident and market intelligence analyst with Palmer Holland Inc., a specialty chemical distributor in North Olmsted, provided access and study materials to Viazmitinas. Michel also paid registration fees for the student.

Photo from Westlake Schools