Priya Mayjoy of Lamar High School competes at 2026 International Science & Engineering Fair

Barbara Crimond | Jun 03, 2026 | Comments 0

Priya Mayjoy and her project at the International Science & Engineering Fair

Lamar High School Junior Priya Mayjoy recently had the honor of spending a week in Phoenix, Arizona attending the International Science & Engineering Fair. She qualified through the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair held in Fort Collins in April as a sophomore. At the state level, Priya placed 5^th overall, with a first place in the Animal Division and was recognized with an Innovation of Science Award, an Agricultural Award and was the recipient of a $1,000/4 year scholarship to CSU. Her overall placing at State allowed her to attend the International Fair. Priya is the first student from the SE region to get to this level in over 34 years. This qualification paid for her entire trip to the ISEF.

This year was the 76th Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). It gathered over 1,700 high school students from 60+ countries who competed for more than $7 million in scholarships and awards. The ISEF is the largest pre-collegiate competition in the world. The first two days of the week were spent going through Safety and Display checks as well as workshops on being judged. Wednesday was devoted entirely to judging. On Thursday, the projects were open to the public for viewing and the students networked with their peers in their categories. Thursday evening was the Special Awards Ceremony and the Grand Awards Ceremony was on Friday morning. The project deemed best overall received a $100,000 cash prize to be used for college tuition. Priya did not make it onto the stage, but she gained lifelong friends and had a very rewarding time.