Smart Guy, Top Honors

Even among the geniuses at North Hollywood High’s highly gifted magnet program, Greg Marsden stands out as a smart guy. Now the 17-year-old with the highest grade point average on campus has been named one of just 40 finalists--and the only one from Los Angeles County--in one of the most prestigious science contests in the country: the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

Over 18 months, Greg used a homemade water probe to test the effects of sewage on Santa Monica Bay. Using mason jars, he collected water samples at the outfalls of Hyperion Water Treatment Plant in El Segundo. After analyzing the samples, Greg concluded that the sewage damages the food chain because plankton populations dropped off near the outfalls.

The work took top honors at the Los Angeles County Fair and stood out among the 1,500 entries in the Westinghouse contest--which comes with up to $40,000 in scholarship money. Greg’s project highlights the bright minds that populate North Hollywood’s magnet and demonstrates the wonderful work that blossoms when the tenacious curiosity of youth intersects with the gentle guidance of dedicated teachers.