Teen Takes Second In Science Contest West Valley Student Wins $1,000 For National Competition

Grace Williams was slightly shaken when she met the students she’d be competing against in a national high school science contest.

Most were older students headed for prominent universities.

“They’d say, ‘Oh, MIT,’ and stuff like that,” said the West Valley High School sophomore. “Then you’d think that you don’t have a chance to win because they’re so smart.”

But the quietly confident 16-yearold went on to take second place in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium on April 30.

Only one other Washington state student - a girl from Seattle - has placed so high in the prestigious national contest put on by the U.S. Army.

When Williams discusses the growth problems of the wildflower Indian paintbrush, the jeans-and-Tshirt-clad teenager is transformed into an accomplished biologist who uses words such as endomycorrhizal fungi with ease.

Williams’ research revealed that exposing Indian paintbrush to the fungus increased the wildflower’s growth and water absorption.

Rod Shinn, who has been teaching science at West Valley for 25 years, said Williams’ paper was the first flawless one he’s read.

“They do more work on these projects than the average master’s degree student,” Williams’ teacher, Bob Bohlen, said.

Williams won a $1,000 scholarship in the national contest, to add to the $200 scholarship earned when she aced Washington’s state contest. About 35 students competed in the state finals and 47 in nationals.

West Valley has churned out five of the last eight state science winners. But Williams - the youngest and the only girl - is the first national winner.

Work on her project swallowed hundreds of hours, and dragged Williams in during Christmas vacation. The night before her report was due, “I was in tears at Kinko’s at 3 o’clock in the morning,” she said.