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)
