Looking at the title of Ella Stricker's science fair project, it's hard not to be impressed. Ella, a rising senior at Elizabethtown Area High School, entered a project called "Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Production in Bacteria: A Sustainable Approach to Eco-Friendly Plastics" in the North Museum Science and Engineering Fair this spring. The judges were impressed with much more than the title, and Ella took home the Overall Grand Champion Award. Winning that honor entitled Ella to an entry in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which was held in Los Angeles in May.

Ella, the daughter of Brian and Carrie Stricker of Elizabethtown, has loved science since she was a little girl.

"Science has always been a passion of mine since I can remember," she said. "Learning about the animal kingdoms, space, the functions of plants and the atmosphere has always fascinated me."

Once she got to high school, Ella took a deeper dive into science through a course called Competition Science 1. "This class entailed entering into various science competitions, like Science Olympiads, and conducting a research project to enter at the North Museum Science and Engineering Fair," she stated.

This past school year, Ella discovered the science behind sustainable bioplastics, which led to her project. The project studied a type of bioplastic - a plastic that occurs naturally in nature - that is produced by a strain of bacteria that lives in dirt.

"It is an extremely promising alternative to the harmful petrochemical plastics we see today, for it is fully biodegradable and has similar physical properties to modern-day plastics," she explained. "With all of these advantages, we do not see this sustainable substitution of plastic today because of its high production costs. In my project, I utilized agro-industrial waste products to produce more PHB, but at a significantly lower cost."

Entering the North Museum fair, she wasn't sure how her project would be received. "I didn't dream that my project would make it far. I was extremely proud of my hard work, but I didn't imagine that I would win Overall Grand Champion," she recalled. "When I heard my name called, I was beyond excited."

Ella traveled to Los Angeles with her mentor, Elizabethtown Area High School teacher Theresa Swenson. She spent the week participating in student mixers, networking meetings, judging sessions and sightseeing.

"There were over 70 countries represented, with 1,600 finalists competing," Ella said, describing the event as the best week of her life. "I met so many amazing people from all over the world. The best part was that we all had a deep passion for science."

When judging day came, Ella was nervous but also excited to share her project. "All of the judges were high-level scientists in the field of study that I wish to work in, so I was inspired to meet them," she said. "While I did not end up placing in my category, I made lifetime memories and met many new friends. ISEF and all of the other finalists inspire me to continue working hard and pursue a future career in science."

Ella noted that scientific research is her passion. "I love diving deep into niche topics and trying to break the boundaries of the 'known,'" she shared. "ISEF and the North Museum created an environment for me to do so and allowed me to realize that nothing is impossible."