Williams Lake Secondary student Sam Delacherios will be heading to Toronto next month with her science project Fuel for the Future.
Sam, 14, a Grade 8 student at Williams Lake secondary returned from the Cariboo Mainline regional science fair in Kamloops April 6 to 8 with a gold medal, three trophies, $200 in cash and an all-expenses paid trip to the national finals in Toronto, May 14 to 21.
“I felt pretty good after the judging, but after looking at all the other projects I was definitely shocked when they called my name,” Delacherios says of her win. “It took a little bit to sink in. It was a couple of hours before I actually realized ... and then I got really excited. I feel honoured.”
Sam has done some travelling to eastern Canada and California but is looking forward to presenting her work at the national science fair in Toronto, visiting the CN Tower and social events planned in conjunction with the science fair. “It is the 50th anniversary of the science fair so it is very special.”
Sam says she loves animals and after seeing the devastation caused by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year decided on a science project to research alternative fuels — hence Fuel for the Future.
“I am a huge animal lover. I wanted to find something to replace oil so this doesn’t have to happen,” Sam says. “I researched the different types of energy sources that could replace crude oil when the world eventually runs out.”
She researched the benefits and disadvantages of alternative fuels made of corn ethanol, sugar cane, soy beans, switch grass, rape seed (canola), algae and regular grass. Graphs and charts were incorporated into the presentation.
Sam’s project won a gold medal at the School District 27 sience fair in 100 Mile House earlier this year, and a place at the regional science fair held at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops April 6-8.
Fuel for the Future won the Junior Biotechnology gold medal and a $200 cash award; B.C. Innovative Science Council of Bio Energy trophy; the BC Science Teachers Award trophy; and the Top Biotechnology trophy.
Her name is added to the larger trophies and she also gets a smaller trophy to keep.
In addition to loving science, Sam enjoys playing soccer, and has been a member of the Blue Fins swim team for eight years.