Young Einstein

A project by David Westrich, now a freshman at Notre Dame Regional High School, recently placed third in the Discovery Channel's Young Scientist Challenge, winning him a $3,750 scholarship and recognition as one of "America's Top Young Scientists of the Year."

Westrich worked on his project, "Lead Levels in Invertebrates Near Herculaneum , Missouri," while an eighth-grader at St. Vincent de Paul Parish School last year.

He was one of 40 finalists from 1,800 middle school students who entered the competition.

While in Washington, D.C., for the Young Scientists Challenge last month, Westrich also participated in a physics competition in which his team finished first.

These accomplishments speak well of Westrich and of Alan Ernst, a Perryville, Mo., student who reached the semifinals, and of the quality and dedication of their teachers.