Junior Meghana Nadella, Allen Science Club member, won a special award in the engineering category at the Texas State Science and Engineering Fair on March 31 to April 2.

While all science club members compete in the regional fair, only members who won first, second or third place advance to state. By winning third place in the environmental science category, Nadella was selected to present her project at the State Science and Engineering fair.  At state, the competition has over a thousand projects divided into different categories and subjects. Each category has awards for the top three projects and some special awards. Nadella won a special award.

At state, Nadella placed and was extremely surprised and proud of her victory.

“It was an amazing experience because I got to meet so many people; I met the actual winner of the international science fair,” Nadella said.

Her project was a continuation from her project from last year, and it was a study over how natural clays in the U.S. act as an antibiotic against different types of bacteria.  She plans on continuing this research next year.

“I was really proud of not only my work, but also appreciative of all the people that helped me,” Nadella said.