Kathy Reeves, Director of Communications – Everett School District Dept. of Communications
Dhiya Kumaraguru, a student in Richelle Shively’s fourth-grade class at Tambark Creek Elementary School, earned the first-place trophy in Biomedical and Health Sciences (BMED) category and the Best of Category Award for Each Grade award for her research project titled “Evaluating the Efficacy of Diverse Stress Alleviation Techniques: A Comprehensive Study in Children and Adults” at the 67th Annual Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) held on April 5 at Bremerton High School.
In addition, she was awarded WSSEF 2024 special awards (grades 1-8):
• Origami Math and Science Award
• Navy League of the U.S. Bremerton/Olympic Peninsula Council STEM Award
• Medicine and Health Award
“I am deeply grateful to Ms. Shively for being an amazing teacher and for her invaluable assistance in coordinating my project and allowing me to present to the 4th- and 5th-grade classes,” shared Kumaraguru in an email. “Her support and guidance at every step of my journey at school have been instrumental in my success.” Kumaraguru became interested in this topic, “because daily I witnessed people getting stressed out. I wanted to try to reduce the levels of stress. Once I found out about the WSSEF, I reached out to my parents and school to permit me to conduct my research. My teacher, parents, and others have been my inspiration to grow my interest in science and that makes me want to learn more and more about it.”
Assessment and Research Director, Dr. Catherine Matthews and her team assisted with getting approval for the project. “Their expertise and support were crucial in ensuring the smooth progress of my project,” added Kumaraguru. Acknowledging the support from school administration, Kumaraguru shared, “I extend my sincere thanks to our principal, Ms. O’Connor-Weaver, and assistant principal, Mr. Jara, for their unwavering support. Without their encouragement, I would not have been able to pursue my project at Tambark Creek Elementary School and present it at the WSSEF. They’re truly the best!”
For fun, Kumaraguru reads books about the human body. “Especially the brain because it has lots of things you can learn about. For example, I could learn about one part of the brain and go deeper into the world of curiosity.” She also enjoys watching basketball tutorial videos and playing basketball. “I have learned that you need a balance of sports, arts, and knowledge to go to college and that is my goal!” In the future, she sees herself helping children and adults learn more about their brains and organs while learning to live a better life. “Basically, I want to become a neuroscientist that specializes in working with children. I want to be a pediatric neurologist.”
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