Vermilion Parish students compete in Dow You Be the Chemist Challenge

Like most successful companies, Dow Chemical is always looking for what will help continue that success in the future.
That future was on display Thursday night at Abbeville High School, as 31 middle school students from around Vermilion Parish competed in the second Dow Vermilion Parish You Be the Chemist Challenge.
Students from Erath Middle, Forked Island E. Broussard Middle, Gueydan, J.H. Williams Middle, North Vermilion Middle, and Rene Rost Middle attended the event.
The students competed against one another through numerous rounds of multiple-choice questions that tested their knowledge of chemistry concepts, important discoveries, and chemical safety awareness.
After seven rounds of competition, North Vermilion Middle’s Rylan Guidry finished in first place. Avery Besson of Erath Middle placed second and J.H. Williams’ Laila Breaux came in third.
The three winners from Thursday advance to the You Be the Chemist Louisiana State Challenge which will be held at Louisiana State University on April 16. The winner of the state competition will move on to compete in the National Challenge held in Philadelphia, Pa., in June.
“The Challenge exposes students to the fascinating world of chemistry as it applies to their everyday lives, allowing them to gain a greater appreciation of how chemistry and chemicals will continue to shape their world,” Dow Week’s Island employee Bo Hilty said. “Additionally, linking industry, educators, and students together not only builds stronger community relationships but also highlights the importance of science education in an informal and celebratory manner. 
“Dow is proud to be the supporter of this event for the second year in a row.”
An important part of Thursday’s event was the promotion of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
“Dow has STEM ambassadors who go out in the community,” Hilty said. “They provide teachers with assistance and in some cases give lessons.
“This is an opportunity for us to interact with the students and talk about what we do.”
Jeannie Cormier, middle school supervisor for the Vermilion Parish School Board, said the district is grateful for Dow’s partnership.
“The opportunity presented to us by Dow gives the students the chance to be excited about chemistry,” Cormier said. “They can look at a future in the field of science, engineering and math.”
Whitney Laakso, a math teacher at J.H. Williams, who teaches a STEM elective, said Thursday’s challenge is great for the parish.
“I am excited to see the kids excited about things like this,” Laakso said. “Kids don’t usually get excited about math. This has them thinking outside of the box.
“For them to get this kind of experience is just incredible.”
Students were excited, too. Arielle Harrison, 12, a 7th-grader at J.H. Williams saw, it as an honor as well as a great learning experience.
“This is really big for me that I made it,” Harrison said. “I want to be a lawyer when I get older and I think these kinds of things will help me grow.
“I like to try different things like this.”
Kiersten Price, a 12-year-old 6th-grader from Erath Middle, said Thursday was a big moment for all of the students.
“It really is,” Price said. “It is really exciting to have kids from all over the parish competing.”
The STEM spirit of Thursday’s event was not lost on Price.
“I have a passion for this,” Price said. “I do see myself wanting to go down that path. I want to be an inventor.
“I want to be part of that next generation.”
Hilty said that is exactly what has people at Dow happy to be part of events like this one.
“These students are the future work force for Dow and related fields in south Louisiana,” Hilty said. “It is really important for us to be a part of helping them grow. We want to make sure they get interested in STEM early on. Once you introduce that interest, it grows.
“You want to hook them young and keep them interested.”