Seven Hawthorne High School students participated in the 65th Annual Merck State Science Day testing program on May 19 by taking a two-hour, Level 2 Biology or Chemistry online tests provided by The New Jersey Science Teachers Association and Merck Institute for Science Education.

The upper-level students were: Stephanie Brown, Nafin Elias, Scott Miele, Kaylee Mercurio, Rachel Millbrook, Lisa Scola and Annie Weisz.

The Merck State Science Day program provides for competition between individuals and among teams of secondary school students in the subjects of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics and Environmental Science. All students receive a certificate of participation and then compete against other students throughout New Jersey on the county and state level.

Guidance counselor Michael Galluccio, who coordinated the testing, said, “This is a great test to measure the student’s knowledge of the subject beyond their own classroom against other students in New Jersey.”

At the state level, the top four students in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Integrated Science, and Advanced Integrated Sciences will be named as Merck Scholars and receive a commemorative gift and an honor cord. Students ranking 5th through 19th in the state will receive an Honorable Mention award.

Ultimately, engraved plaques will be awarded to the schools placing first through fifth in the state combining the three second year subjects and two Integrated Science tests (total of five plaques), and to the schools placing first through fifth in the state in each individual second year discipline and Integrated Science tests (total of 25 plaques).