Representing Catholic education and Los Angeles County, eighth-grader Annemarie Kelleghan from St. Anastasia School in Westchester earned a first place medal at the California State Science Fair held May 22-23 at the California Science Center.

Her project "Back to Ballona: A Two-Year Analysis of Ballona Creek" won the award in the Earth Sciences/Planetary Sciences category. She also received Special Awards from the Association of Women Geoscientists and the California Shore & Beach Preservation Association Award.

At this year's Los Angeles County Science Fair, Ms. Kelleghan scored a second place medal and the Naval Science Award. As a participant in the South Bay Environmental Science Fair, Kelleghan won first place in the 8th Grade Water Issues Division, earlier this year.

"Annemarie has always been a very environmentally conscious student," says science teacher Dr. Tom Petoskey. "She is an excellent student who is involved in her school as well as the community."

Headed for Notre Dame Academy in the fall, Annemarie is a Volunteer Tutor at the Santa Monica Public Library, a member of S.O.S. (Saints of Service, a school community service club) and treasurer for the St. Anastasia School Student Council.

She also participates in Girl Scouts and is a member of the Venice Judo Club. Her other interests include quilting and camping. She and classmate, Hannah Turgeon organized a quilting project to make lap quilts for the elderly at a local convalescent home.

"Annemarie is very focused and hard working," said her mom, Phyllis. "We drive over Ballona every day going back and forth to school, and after it rains, it is very clear all the junk that collects in the water. Annemarie would go down to Ballona to take samples, depending on the weather and the tides. She did this for a period of two years and even built her own turbidity meter. She just wanted to do as good a project as she could about something that really mattered to her. She amazes me."