North Bergen Students Earn Top Honors at 2025 Hudson County STEM Showcase

Two North Bergen High School students, Christopher Robles and Lauren Zepeda, were recognized for their outstanding scientific research at the 2025 Jersey City Medical Center/RWJBarnabas Health Hudson County STEM Showcase. Christopher earned a gold medal and the NASA Earth System Science Project Award, while Lauren received a silver medal.

Both students are part of the Independent Scientific Research Honors course, taught by Dr. Krista Welz, where they conducted original, high-level research. Christopher also received additional mentorship from Mr. Robert Onoz. The course challenges students to develop research proposals, analyze data, create prototypes, and present scholarly papers and oral defenses, preparing them for future STEM careers.

The Hudson County STEM Showcase is the region’s largest science fair, giving students the opportunity to present their research to experts and compete for awards and scholarships.