Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair

By Madison Bierl
| 1:00 p.m. December 12, 2025

Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.

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For Sophia Finnegan, a junior at Lakewood Ranch High School, a real life experience with blepharitis, a chronic condition that is commonly misdiagnosed as pink eye, gave her extra incentive to do research on the topic.

Along with her sister Faith (they are two of three triplets that includes their sister Gabrielle), they created a project titled "A Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Ocular Bacteria on Conjuctival Cells in Eyes with Blepharitus" for the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.

"It's always changing," Sophia Finnegan said about information discovered through blepharitis research. "There's always going to be new discoveries and new developments."

The Finnegan sisters' project was one of many fascinating presentations offered during the science fair.

The science fair was organized by Alexandra Wilcoxson, who works as the chemistry and environmental science instructor at the school. She said the school hasn't had a science fair in more than 10 years and she was eager to bring it back.

For Wilcoxson, the process of science is finding answers, problem solving, and testing through trial and error.

"It gives (the students) a sense of accomplishment when they work hard and then they can then be able to present (their work) in a science fair," Wilcoxson said. "It sets them up for their collegiate studies, where you're a little bit more independent in your learning. It gives them a great foundation of maybe getting into labs in college or getting into research as a mentor."

All of the 15 students who participated are part of the Science and Engineering Fair Club, which is in conjunction with the Science National Honor Society.

For junior Keaven Zheng, who had never participated in a science fair, the experience was challenging. He studied mental health, including anxiety and depression.

Lakewood Ranch High Principal Dustin Dahlquist said Wilcoxson deserves the credit for organizing an event that shows off the school's brightest minds.

"This is a great first step in a positive direction, and something that we're certainly going to expand upon in future years," Dahlquist said. "It's fascinating the number of diverse topics the students come up with."

All 15 students will compete in the Manatee Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Jan. 23 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

Sophia Finnegan and Faith Finnegan, two of three triplets, did a project on blepharitis, a common and chronic inflammation of the eyelids, after Sophia began to experience it herself.

Lakewood Ranch High Principal Dustin Dahlquist congratulates senior Payton Casto after she presented her marine science project with her project teammate senior Gianna Weldon.

Sophomore Selma Onus presents her project to Thomas Bellantonio, an assistant principal at the school.

Bryan Thomas, a science teacher and judge at the fair, listens as senior Addison Wiele discusses her project on targeted chemotherapy.

Wrenn Pevzner-Downer, a freshman, studied the level of microplastics in lip products.

Lakewood Ranch High junior Keaven Zheng did a mental health-based project on the connection between circadian rhythms, sleep and the gut microbiome.

Tas Zahin, a sophomore, says this is the first science fair she has participated in since elementary school. She wants to be a neurosurgeon.

Sophia Mitchell, a sophomore, gets advice from science teacher and judge Bryan Thomas. Mitchell did a project on using artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Lillian Pevzner-Downer, a junior, compared how crops with chemical fertilizers and pesticides compare to organically grown crops.

Madison Bowen, a junior, did a project on caffeine and the effect it has on driving compared to drugs and alcohol. She said caffeine levels should be controlled better.

Tas Zahin, a sophomore, receives advice on her project from Jeff Camp, a science teacher and judge. He recommends all students practice their presentation to whoever will listen.

Alexandra Wilcoxson, a science teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School, worked as a science fair coordinator at a previous job and was eager to put one together for Lakewood Ranch.

author

Madison Bierl

Madison Bierl is the education and community reporter for the East County Observer. She grew up in Iowa and studied at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University.