Fourth-grader Echo Harris of Boaz Intermediate School recently placed third in the regional Science Bee. Harris is now qualified for the national Science Bee and currently, he is the only student from the Boaz City School Systems to place.
The 2025 Northern Alabama Fall Regional Tournament-National Science Bee was held at Albertville Middle School on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Intermediate and middle school students from all across Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama participated in the bee.
“So, it’s kind of like a spelling bee, but what they do is they use buzzers and ask you trivia questions about science and the questions can range anywhere from things about the human body to space to ecology and geology,” said Echo’s mom Chelsea Harris. “It’s a really wide variety of topics. The way that it works is whoever buzzes their buzzer first gets to answer the question and if they get it wrong, they go onto the next person who buzzes kind of like jeopardy.”
Harris said she was excited that Echo did so well and is now qualified for nationals.
“Of course I’m a very proud mom, but I thought it was great that so many kids from our area participated in it,” she added.
As for Echo, he said he has always been interested in science.
“I am especially interested in engineering and things like circuits and building systems. This was my very first science bee that I’ve ever done. My gifted teacher Ms. Richardson at Boaz Intermediate School gave me and my classmates a qualifying exam. If we made high enough on the test, then we were able to compete in the regional science bee,” he said. “I plan on competing in the national sites. The Bee that is coming up at the end of May 2026 I am doing fundraisers to try to raise the money for travel expenses and the entry fee because the competition is in Orlando, Florida. I plan on doing more science space next year and hopefully I will make it to the nationals again. To any kids out there that might be thinking about doing a science bee I would tell them that it’s really fun and that it extends their brain and that they should totally go for it!”
Albertville Middle School also had 19 students to compete in the International Academic Competition in science, history, and geography.
Albertville Results:
7th Grade Science Bee 3rd Place:
Brandon Soriano
Science Bee Students Who Qualified for Nationals which will be in Orlando, FL:
7th grade – Ashton Santiago
7th grade – Avery Bullock
7th grade – Brandon Soriano
7th grade – Bethany Wilson
7th grade – Kai Walker
Science Bee Students Who Qualified for International:
7th grade – Ashton Santiago
7th grade – Avery Bullock
7th grade – Brandon Soriano
8th Grade History Bee 3rd Place
Declan Turner
Students Who Qualified for Nationals:
8th Graders
Declan Turner
John Whit Reeves
7th Graders:
Bo Graves
Braxton Reeves
Avery Bullock
Ashton Santiago
Students Who Qualified for Internationals:
8th Grade – Declan Turner
7th Grade – Braxton Reeves