TORII STATION, Okinawa, Japan -- Dr. Nancy Bresell, Director DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam, is proud to announce the following high school students were selected as winners;

First Place - Jade Vitug                       Guam High School
Second Place - Erik Kuster                Osan High School 
Third Place - Leah Yi                           Seoul American High School
Fourth Place - Kathryn Barnes          Osan High School

Mr. Jade Vitug, Mr. Erik Kuster and Ms. Leah Yi will be traveling to the National Symposium where Jade and Erik will present their research projects. Leah will serve as a student delegate and Kathryn was selected as the alternate. They will depart for Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.

Approximately 112 students from the Department of Defense Dependents Schools from across the Pacific participated in the 25th year of the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at Tsukuba City from March 26 through March 30.  Tsukuba City is an international research city that is the center of most of Japan 's prominent research facilities. Students learned about research, experimentation and the importance of how science contributes to our societies.

The symposium helps expose students to academic, industrial, and governmental opportunities throughout the week. The main thrust of the symposium is to give students in the Pacific a forum to present their research through poster and oral presentations, with the top high school oral presenters advancing to the national symposium.  At the symposium these students earned scholarships in the amount of  $1500 for first place,  $1000 for second place, and $500 for third place.

Jade Vitug and Erik Kuster will compete at National Symposium for scholarships ranging from $16,000 for first place to $2,000 for third. If either should finish first in their presentation category, they will be eligible to attend the International Forum in London this summer with all expenses paid by National Junior Science Humanities Symposium.

"We are extremely proud of these students and acknowledge the support from the administrators, teachers, counselors, and parents whose dedication and commitment serve as the foundation of success for these young adults. I also want to recognize the support we have received from the community for the past 25 years and Mr. Takashi Suyama, DoDDS-Pacific/DDESS-Guam Host Nation Coordinator for his role in establishing this program," said Dr. Bresell.