KHS Research Students Place in Top 10 at Flint Regional Science & Engineering Fair

In March, ten Kingsley High School research students competed at the Flint Regional Science and Engineering Fair. The International Science Fair-affiliated competition brought together more than 70 students from across the state.

KHS' Leah Graziano's project earned 6th place overall, and Paige Lenon earned 7th place overall, with several other students earning recognitions.

Leah Graziano and her certificate

Kingsley High School research students employ college-level methods and techniques to make discoveries and projects about their interests.

The class was started by Kingsley science teacher Nancy Olenchek two years ago. In just a few years, the class has already produced several award-winning research efforts.

Ms. Olenchek also teamed up with Northwestern Michigan College to help her students earn college credits for their work in her classroom.

Read on to learn more about this year's science fair projects and awards.

Student	Project	Awards
Anna Bauer	The treatment of alcoholism in second generation Drosophila melanogaster with the use of stem cells
Morgan DeVries	The effect of light exposure on zebrafish locomotor activity	Research Fellow Award
Leah Graziano	The ability of sound frequencies to deter invasive species, Carassius aratus, from freshwater environments	1. Sixth Place Finalist 2. Recognized as the Outstanding Submission at FRSEF 2026 in the field of Earth and Environmental Sciences + Plant Sciences
Ian Hunt and Mitchell	Design and fabrication of an unmanned aerial vehicle to optimize speed	Honorable Mention Award
Paige Lenon	Meta-analysis to increase attendance at Women's NCAA college sporting events	1. Matthew Bauerle Mathematics Award in honor and recognition of having the best mathematics project in the High School Division of the FRSEF 2026 2. 7th Place Finish Finalist
Braden Marsh	Optimization and feasibility of a V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft as an atmospheric storm surveillance system	1. NOAA's 2026 Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award presented to the science fair student whose research has demonstrated the principles and technical innovations that offer the greatest potential for an improved understanding of Earth's dynamic processes. 2. United States Air Force Award for an outstanding science or engineering fair project. 3. Research Fellow
Ryan Roelofs	Extending flight time of a Fighting Falcon II RC plane using solar panels	Honorable Mention Award
Allison Treacy	Mathematical modeling Translarma for cystic fibrosis nonsense mutations
Adam Wilcoxen	Optimization of a remote-controlled, 3D-printed plane to a tilt-rotor, vertical takeoff and landing drone for use in mountainous search and rescue	1. Bosch Engineering "We Set The Pace" Award with Bosch Powertools as the prize. 2. Research Fellow