Best in Class: AVS students win big at BT Young Scientist competition

The pair won the top prize in the Senior Biological and Ecological group

Abbey Vocational School students Jane Faulkner and Robyn picked up a much-coveted category winners prize at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

The pair took the top award in the Senior Biological and Ecological Group category at the awards ceremony on Friday evening for their project 'Which is the most 'essential' essential oil at preventing fungal mould on fruit'.

Their proud teacher Donna Furey said: "Congratulations on this amazing achievement.

"Between them the girls have been selected to take part in the BTYST Exhibition an amazing eight times, with Jane reaching the final consecutively for the last five years, proving that perseverance really does pay in Science and scientific enquiry."

Fellow Abbey Vocational School student Samaire Fern was highly commended in her category, Senior individual Social and Behavioral for her project 'An investigation into the effects of videogames and team sports on the understanding of concepts of game theory and problem-solving in students.'

The BTYSTE opened in the RDS on Wednesday, January 10 and continues until January 13. The standard of projects is extemely high, and reaching the exhibition stage of the competition is in itself a fantastic achievement.