Two Mission Early College High School students returned from the 2026 International Science and Engineering Fair in May with a wealth of experience in research, networking and presentation and organizational skills. Most notably, they came home as winners of a prestigious, four-year scholarship to Arizona State University.
Bella Vargas and Marina Lares-Garcia, who were sophomores during the 2025-2026 school year, earned the New American University ISEF Scholarship from ASU. The scholarship has a value of $32,000 for each student and is a prominent award offered through ASU's participation as a Special Award Organization (SAO) at ISEF. It is awarded to science fair finalists for outstanding, pre-college research and design.
Both Vargas and Lares-Garcia said their science fair journey from district, regional, state and finally to ISEF motivated them to generate more ideas on research and further develop their project.
“I believe our passion and determination helped us stand out to be selected for the prestigious scholarship award,” Lares-Garcia said. “Personally, the interest in working with animals in the future allowed me to maintain consistency and curiosity as our research went on. I also believe having a real-world application within our project was an important aspect of getting awarded the scholarship.”
The duo’s project investigated whether dogs show paw laterality, or a preference for using one paw over the other, and whether that preference is linked to providing insight into their emotional well-being. They said they found that dogs favoring their left paw were more likely to exhibit signs of stress, which suggest that paw preference could potentially help identify dogs at risk for stress-related health problems.
“I am incredibly proud of Marina and Bella for earning this impressive scholarship. Watching them grow throughout the science fair process was truly inspiring,” said Mission Early College High School science fair coordinator Antonio Castruita said. “They demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and a genuine passion for scientific research at every level. Their success is well deserved and reflects the countless hours they invested into refining and strengthening their project.”
Vargas said ASU is one of her top university choices because they offer a degree in Aeronautical Management Technology which she hopes to pursue after high school.
“Earning the four-year scholarship to ASU was exciting to both of us, especially to me since ASU is the college I prefer to attend to pursue higher education. Advancing to ISEF and succeeding throughout the science fair process taught me how to be more confident when presenting and proved to me hard work and dedication truly pays off in the end.”
Vargas and Lares-Garcia won first place at both the district and regional levels and won the sweepstakes award in the life sciences category at the Sun Country Regional Science Fair. In addition, they won a $150 cash prize from a local law firm that selected their project for the outstanding quality of their research, their commitment to continuous improvement, and the professionalism they demonstrated throughout the competition.
“These two young women stepped onto a world stage alongside 1,600 high school competitors from around the globe, vying for more than $9 million in awards,” said Socorro ISD Secondary Science Instructional Officer Cindy Apodaca about their advancement to ISEF. “They returned to El Paso enriched with new friendships, powerful memories, and experiences that will shape their futures.”
Castruita said their work ethic and determination drove their science fair success, and they demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills, and persistence through challenges.
“Marina and Bella consistently pushed themselves to improve their research by collecting more data, performing deeper statistical analyses, and refining their presentation each step of the way,” he said.
Lares-Garcia said ASU is one of her top university options, where she can see herself excelling both academically and personally. She does plan to continue exploring other universities that align with her academic interests, long-term goals, values, research opportunities, and career aspirations. Earning the ASU scholarship is one of her biggest milestones, she said.
“I do not think there are words to describe how honored and thankful I feel for the opportunities I have been given. Earning a four-year scholarship to ASU was an incredible honor and was one of the proudest moments in my academic career,” she said.
Both Vargas and Lares-Garcia agreed that the support they received from their families and teachers at Mission Early College High School were instrumental in their success. They plan to continue their research to better observe how changes from a stressful environment to a calmer environment affect dogs, leading to a better understanding of paw laterality and its relationship with stress.
“I encourage all students at SISD to get more involved in science fair. Through my experience leading up to ISEF, I learned valuable presentation skills, how to be more organized, met students from different places and regions, learned more about different colleges, and gained experiences that I will always remember,” Vargas said.