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GBHS students qualify to compete at KU Med Centers Night @ The Lab
edu slt GBHS night-at-lab
Great Bend High School students who attended a science competition at KU Medical Center were, from left: Eric Vasquez, Allison Regehr and Ashtin Heath.

     KANSAS CITY, Kansas – Three Great Bend High School juniors won the regional competition and the right to compete at the “Night @ The Lab” state competition held on Nov. 18 and 19 at KU Medical Center.
Allison Regehr, Ashtin Heath and Eric Vasquez presented their research findings on how cancer metastasizes at the beginning of November. By showcasing their knowledge to the regional judges at Augusta High School, the team gained valuable experience in both research skills and professional presentation skills. Their presentation consisted of a visual display board and a speech enhanced with video elements.   
    

GBHS science instructor Andrea Stalcup led the project development, and sports medicine instructor Ryan Zink facilitated this co-curricular learning opportunity.  
Winning teams from six different regions came together to share with KU Medical School students, faculty and staff this past week at the state “Night @ The Lab” competition.
English instructor Kim Heath traveled with the students and later reported on the event.
“It was very informative to view other students’ presentations from across the state and network with others interested in health science careers,” she said. “Our students are already making plans for how to deepen their research and improve their presentation for next year’s competition.”  
    

The event was developed by the KU Medical Center Area Health Education. The trip included walking tours of the KU Medical campus including the A.R. Dykes Research Library, Hemenway Research Building and the Clendening Library of Medical History.  The attendees learned about current ovarian cancer research and the long process of trial and error undertaken during clinical trials. The students also learned from faculty about how to evaluate resources and how to navigate databases of information. They visited with KU Med Center students about their research projects and various health sciences programs.
It was an excellent opportunity for the GBHS students to explore the connections between their science classroom and possible health career opportunities.