Student researchers traveled to the 2025 Florida Junior Academy Annual Meeting and Competition (FJAS) in Melbourne, Fla. over the first weekend of spring break. Out of the 27 students competing, 17 placed. 

After traveling up March 21, students enjoyed a dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. The next day, March 22, competitors were up bright and early to set up presentations at 8 a.m. Students could choose to either compete in the oral or poster categories, in five subsects of science (behavioral, biological, environmental, medical and physical). 

After competing all morning long, student researchers enjoyed dining hall food from Florida Tech University, the host university of FJAS for 2025. The students then headed over to the Gleason auditorium, where the awards ceremony was held. Former faculty member Mrs. Leya Joykutty, now FJAS director, announced the awards and passed them out. After the ceremony, the team left for home. 

First Place:

Noah-Duro Andre, 11 – Environmental Poster

Scarlett Asselta, 7 – Middle School Medical 

Isabel Duffy, 11 – Environmental Speaker 

Iris Fan, 12 – Medical Speaker 

Aaron Pinto, 11 – Physical Poster8

Shania Srivastav, 11 – Physical Speaker

Second Place:

Emma Colarte Delgado, 12 – Behavioral Speaker 

Aliyah Dania, 11 – Behavioral Poster

Anagha Iyer, 11 – Environmental Speaker

Alfred Jino, 11 – Physical Poster

Nicholas Kwok, 11 – Medical Poster

Vid Yash, 10 – Medical Speaker

Third Place:

Camila Galicia, 11 – Biological Speaker 

Akshay Kumar, 12 – Biological Poster

Fourth Place:

Patricia Duffy, 11 – Medical Poster

Honorable Mention: 

Ann Abhilash, 10 – Biological Poster

Roshini Shivakumar, 12 – Behavioral Poster

_{From left to right, top to bottom: Juniors Noah-Duro Andre, Nicholas Kwok, Aaron Pinto, Alfred Jino, senior Akshay Kumar, sophomores Aayan Kherada, Ann Abhilash and junior Patricia Duffy present their posters to the judges. (Photos/Aliyah Dania)} 

_{Throughout the awards ceremonies, students climbed through auditorium seats to reach the stage and accept their awards. Here, seventh grader Scarlett Asselta and the behavioral poster winners hold their newly accepted awards. (Photos/Aliyah Dania and Anagha Iyer)}

_{With a variety of categories, junior Isabel Duffy presents in the environmental speaker category, while senior Emma Colarte Delgado opts for behavioral. (Photos/Anagha Iyer and Dr. Anita Shaw)}

_{With four main schools attending FJAS, all attendees collected near the front of the stage for the awards ceremony. (Photo/Aliyah Dania)}

_{Florida Tech University hosted FJAS. Students gather together after the ceremony to celebrate their sweep. (Photo/Dr. Anita Shaw)}