WHS sophomores receive STEM honors

Wahkiakum High School sophomores K.T. Cernal and Arwynn Haney were honored along with other regional nominees as STEM Rising Stars in Vancouver recently by ESD 112 at their Career Connect SW STEM Network- STEM Rising Star and Regional Partner Awards.

Cernal and Haney were nominated by WHS Science teacher Jeff Rooklidge and Principal Stephanie Leitz.

"They were both excellent applicants from the Science/Engineering/Technology side of things," Leitz said.

Both Haney and Cernal are active members of the Wahkiakum High School and 4-H Mecha Mules robotics team, and have participated in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities in and outside the classroom.

Haney initiated and maintains all the social media including Facebook and Instagram for First Tech Challenge, building websites on her own, with little input from advisor Ron Wright, while Cernal worked on the logo, business brand, "utilizing her amazing art skills to design" the business aspect of FTC.

Cernal and Haney mentored younger students in STEM robotics and assisted with the district's junior robotics program after school. Both students also spent hundreds of hours outside of class contributing to the team's success in Sea Perch competition and FTC robotics.

Cernal is considering a future career in medicine according to the nomination and is interested in the intersection between medicine and STEM. She is a "top notch student in science," Rooklidge wrote.

Haney would like to study law, and according to Rooklidge, is "brilliant at science."