In March 2025, two students from North Bergen High School, Christopher Robles and Lauren Zepeda, received high honors at the Hudson County STEM Showcase. This annual event, held by Jersey City Medical Center/RWJBarnabas Health, is the largest science fair in Hudson County and gives students a chance to share their scientific research with experts.
Christopher Robles won a gold medal, the highest award in the showcase. He also received the NASA Earth System Science Project Award, given to students whose projects focus on Earth’s systems and align with NASA’s goals.
Lauren Zepeda also performed well. She earned a silver medal for her project. This placed her among the top students in the competition.
- Christopher Robles won a gold medal and the NASA Earth System Science Project Award for his research at the 2025 Hudson County STEM Showcase.
- Lauren Zepeda earned a silver medal for her project, showing strong research and presentation skills.
- Both students completed their work through a challenging honors science course at North Bergen High School that teaches real research skills.
A Course Designed to Train Real Researchers
Both students were part of the Independent Scientific Research Honors course at North Bergen High School, taught by Dr. Krista Welz.
At the start of the course, students complete a literature review, where they study published scientific work to better understand their topic. Then, they create a research proposal and form a clear hypothesis. After that, they build prototypes, run experiments, and collect data.
Once they gather enough information, students must analyze their results and write a full research paper. Finally, they must give an oral defense, where they explain their work and answer questions about it.
Christopher Robles also received extra mentorship from Robert Onoz during the course. His support helped guide Christopher through complex parts of his project.
Their Success Shows the Value of STEM Education
The strong performance by Robles and Zepeda shows why programs like the Independent Scientific Research Honors course matter. Students get the chance to explore big ideas, use academic tools, and present their own findings.
The Hudson County STEM Showcase is not only a school event, but also a platform where professionals judge students, and awards are based on real scientific standards. Winning a medal here means the student’s work is original and well done.
The hard work of teachers like Dr. Welz and mentors like Mr. Onoz helps make this possible. Their guidance supports students as they take on projects that prepare them for college and future science careers.
