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Centreville High Junior Receives Honors at State Science Fair

Student's microbiology project impressed judges at each level of competition.

Name: Ashley Potts 

Age: 16 

School: Centreville High School

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Accomplishment: After winning first place in the microbiology category in both the and the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair earlier this year, Ashley’s project received an honorable mention at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair (VSSEF) in early April.  

Key to Awesomeness: Ashley’s current independent research stemmed from her work in two previous projects that centered on beating antimicrobial resistance. This year’s project involved a close study of the antimicrobial drug resina propoli, or bee propolis, thought to treat certain types of cancer and eradicate antibiotic resistant bacteria. The results of her experiment showed that bee propolis actually increases, rather than inhibits, bacterial growth. 

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Dr. Charles Madden, a professor in the Undergraduate Biology Program at , served as a mentor for Ashley throughout the research process. This opportunity allowed Ashley to not only demonstrate her passion for microbiology, but also earn recognition for her scientific efforts.  

Though she hadn’t planned on qualifying for the state science fair until her senior year, Potts is a seasoned competitor at the local level; this year was the third in a row that she won the fair in her category and advanced to the regional fair. 

Ashley said of her success at the Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair, “Winning first place was really awe-inspiring, especially with a project like mine [natural remedies] standing next to other projects with semi-cures to cancer.” 

Ashley also won a Corporate and Professional Organization Award at the fair; she was one of 15 students invited by the Central Intelligence Agency to an awards ceremony and tour of CIA headquarters. 

“States was even more shocking for me,” Ashley said, “especially the atmosphere. It took place in Old Dominion University’s gymnasium, and the sheer amount of projects there was amazing.” 

Ashley, who “never expected to be recognized” at the state level, was one of just three students who received an honorable mention at the VSSEF competition in Norfolk, Virginia.  

“Receiving honorable mention was one of the proudest moments of my life,” she said. 

Potts has already come up with a project idea for next year and has her sights set on advancing to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). “This [her upcoming senior year] is the year I’m striving to make it to ISEF,” she said.

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