Members of Rye Neck High School’s Health Occupation Students of America team had a strong performance at HOSA’s virtual Spring Leadership Conference from April 14-16.

Under the leadership of team adviser Matt DeBellis, 16 students from Rye Neck competed against more than 200 other students from high schools and health programs across New York State. As a result of their performance, sophomore Michaela Alsiadi placed first in the highly competitive clinical nursing examination event, and sophomores Clementine Garnier and Olivia Tobin placed second in the CPR/First Aid team exam.

The competitive organization brings together students who aspire to be future health professionals.

Rye Neck High School senior Gabriel Miller, who is a member of the National Math Honor Society, has been awarded a 2021 Mu Alpha Theta Scholarship by the organization. He is one of 13 high school students to receive the scholarship this year.

Miller was selected to receive the competitive scholarship by excelling in mathematics, providing exemplary leadership and loyalty to his Mu Alpha Theta chapter and providing service in the field of mathematics.

He is president and one of the founders of the Mu Alpha Theta chapter at his school. He plans on further pursuing his interests in government and mathematics in college.

Rye Neck High School junior Ava Liebmann earned a fourth-place award in the Plant Science category at the prestigious Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair, held virtually from March 15-19.

Liebmann showcased her outstanding research project, “The Effect of Climatic Heat Stress on the Function of RuBisCO,” before a panel of judges. Her research focused on the enzyme RuBisCO, an inefficient protein responsible for catalyzing photosynthesis and aiding in plant growth.

“As the effects of global climate change heighten, plants are exposed to increasingly high temperatures,” Liebmann said. “In order to ensure that we are prepared for the future, it is imperative to study the effect of temperature fluctuations on plants. The aim of this experiment was to determine how RuBisCO responds to temperature increases and the effect of temperature on the enzyme’s already low efficiency.”

To complete her research, Liebmann grew plants at two different temperatures, one normal and the other heat stressed. She discovered that growth of the normal plants was hindered under heat stress and identified RuBisCO as the limiting factor since the only difference between the two groups was its relative function.

“Ava’s forward thinking of how climate change will affect plants on Earth also has implications for mitigating world hunger,” science teacher Kristi Rachiele said. “Ava’s dedication to her research is inspiring, and I look forward to seeing where she goes from here. She has a very bright future ahead of her.”

The Westchester Science & Engineering Fair encourages high school students to participate in hands-on science by providing them a forum to showcase their research. This year, the fair featured approximately 560 projects, representing 44 schools across Putnam and Westchester counties.

Members of Rye Neck High School’s Mock Trial team won a round against Sleepy Hollow High School in the coveted Westchester County competition, held via Zoom on March 11.

Led by senior captain Gabriel Miller, junior captain Abigail Andrade and freshman Laura Chillemi, the team delivered a strong performance supported by sophomore Noah Vienne and freshmen Theodore Kusbiantoro and Caroline Johansen as convincing witnesses.

Under the guidance of social studies teacher and team coach Marcella Scalise, the students have been examining this year’s civil case of Macca Elery McLaughlin vs. Lee and Robbie McLaughlin. The case is about Macca McLaughlin, a former pop star, who is suing his parents Robbie and Lee McLaughlin for breaching their fiduciary duties.

The team will compete against Mount Vernon High School in the third round on March 18.

Rye Neck High School students Madison Cole, Andrew Glener, Ruby Liebmann and Lily Peterson earned the top spots in a playwriting contest through the Phoenix Theatre & Arts Company’s inaugural Page to Stage Playwright’s Festival.

Over the course of several weeks, each student created their own characters and scenarios, and wrote their scripts before submitting their work to the festival in the Tailfeathers division. Recommended for students in grades 5-12, the festival challenged students to submit a one-act play or musical that interpreted this year’s theme of “Navigating Relationships.”

“No two plays were the same, and each one had moments of absolute innovation and dramatic excitement,” said teacher Scott Harris, who encouraged the students to enter the competition. “Any of their plays would be deserving of recognition, and so I’m thrilled that three of my students were semifinalists and Ruby Liebmann actually won the competition. Congratulations to all of my students for their creative work.”

Liebmann, a senior, was named winner of the Tailfeathers division with her “Prom Night,” which takes place during the most highly anticipated social event of every high schooler’s year. The story follows three girls as they navigate the difficulties of the night. An outspoken girl is ready to fulfill a decade-old promise, her more nurturing friend is hiding a secret and a high-achieving student believes her prom night is ruined.

Cole, a junior, earned a semifinalist award with “Should I Stay or Go,” which is set in New York City in a café break room. It follows the story of a young, struggling actor who feels discouraged and insecure about her abilities. She has to decide whether to stay in the city and continue her dream or go home and continue her teaching degree.

Glener, a junior, earned a semifinalist award with “The New Year’s Party,” which takes place on Dec. 31, 2021, when herd immunity for COVID-19 has been reached in the United States due to vaccines being administered. A young guy decides to throw a New Year’s party for the new year, 2022. He invites his girlfriend and two friends to celebrate the night together without masks and social distancing, but everything seems to go wrong. It might’ve been too soon for them to get together without taking necessary precautions.

Peterson, a junior, earned a semifinalist award with “Never Been Good at Goodbyes,” which is about two lifetime best friends, Claire and Oliver, living in Malibu as they navigate their way through high school. When Oliver finally spills life-changing news – he is moving to New York – Claire comes up with a plan to run away with him. Oliver’s feelings toward Claire are stronger than friendship but he thinks his love is unrequited. Both friends have yet to tell each other how they feel, but their emotions can only be held in for so long.

The students worked on their original, one-act plays as part of an assignment in Harris’ Advanced Acting class. While it was a daunting task, Harris said he was impressed by their creativity and the depth and breadth of their chosen subject matters.

The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Company will produce live performance of the students’ plays, which will be available to stream on April 10. According to the organization, the Page to Stage Playwright’s Festival was designed to recognize the work of local playwrights and provide artists of all ages an opportunity to improve their writing, enhance their craft and have their work performed in front of an audience.

Rye Neck High School senior Sofia Palacios has been awarded a Youth Awards scholarship by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. The program honors Latino high school seniors who excel in the classroom and participate in community service projects, and recognizes them for their excellence in various categories.

From more than 27,000 applications nationwide, three students were selected for each category in 10 different regions across the country. Palacios received the bronze award in a region covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont in the business and finance category.

According to her teachers, Palacios is a motivated, hardworking, committed and diligent student. She has received numerous awards and distinctions and excels in a course load of Advanced Placement classes. Throughout her high school career, she has developed and honed her interest in marketing and immersed herself in the field. Palacios has participated in Columbia University’s marketing summer internship program and worked as an intern at a Wall Street investment firm. She’s currently engaged in a project, in collaboration with a local cable television station and the mayor’s office, to foster positivity within the community and combat the effects of social isolation during the pandemic. Her extracurricular activities include community service projects, such as tutoring and participating in food drives.

Palacios plans on studying marketing in college and participating in community service projects with hopes of assisting lower-income individuals break language barriers. Coming from a multicultural Hispanic family, Palacios has lived in different parts of the world, learning how to speak Chinese, English, French and Spanish.

“Cultural immersion has been a major part of my life,” Palacios said. “In college, I’ll strive to continue giving back to the community, and I am excited to use my business education for the betterment of society.”

Palacios was recognized by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation during a virtual awards ceremony on Feb. 23.