Aug 19

Rising MST Senior Combats Algae Blooms

For rising MST senior Emily Jiang, what started as an MST research project in 2024 has evolved into a community endeavor. As a sophomore, Emily researched blue-green algae and ways to combat its spread. Algae blooms, rapid growths of algae and cyanobacteria in bodies of water, are mainly caused by rising temperatures and fertilizer runoff. These blooms often produce toxins that can harm underwater organisms and other wildlife.
The Fallen Leaf Lake near the Lacamas Lake trail system became the target of Emily’s research. Algae blooms in the body of water are detrimental to pets and people around the area due to its proximity to the hiking trails, and instances of algae blooms in the area have significantly increased over the years. Determined to protect the natural resource for local visitors, Emily came across the idea of a “floating island,” a raft planted with native wetland species. The plants’ roots dangle into the water, absorbing excess nutrients like phosphorus that would otherwise fuel algae growth. This design offers a natural, chemical-free way to improve water quality.
Since commercially bought floating islands could not be used in the lake due to cost restrictions, Jiang decided to build her own prototype. With help from her father, Lipin Wang, she placed the island into the lake on July 3. In the coming months, Emily plans to compare plant growth and phosphorus levels between plants on the island and control plants grown at home to determine whether the floating island could become an effective lake-restoration strategy.
Ty Cobb, the president of the Lacamas Lake Watershed Council, notes that Emily’s findings could provide useful data for “scaling up floating wetlands in key hotspots around the lake system, giving us a cost-effective, natural tool to complement our and the city’s ongoing restoration strategy.”  Cobb expressed strong support for Emily’s project, emphasizing that “seeing young stewards like [her] bring community focus to the health of our waters makes me deeply optimistic.”
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Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/08/rising-mst-senior-combats-algae-blooms/

Jun 27

MST Alumni Earns Prestigious National Merit Scholarship

We are proud to congratulate our alumnus, David Li, on being named as a National Merit Scholar. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a highly prestigious academic competition that awards college undergraduate scholarships to high school students based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT as well as academic stats.

David first advanced to the Semifinalist stage along with five other CHS students before earning Finalist standing, a distinction awarded after a comprehensive review of academic records, course rigor, grades, extracurricular involvement, community contributions, essays, and letters of recommendation.

A member of the Class of 2026, David will attend the California Institute of Technology this fall, where he plans to study Electrical Engineering. Congratulations, David, on this remarkable achievement! We are excited to see all that you accomplish in the years ahead.

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/06/mst-alumni-earns-prestigious-national-merit-scholarship/

Jun 13

Magnetos Celebrate End of the School Year with Annual Barbeque!

Last Friday, Magnetos and their families gathered at Grace Church in the last MST event of the year. Event-goers chowed down on BBQ and sweet treats and enjoyed the wide variety of games brought by families. A big thank you to everyone who helped set up and clean up!

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/06/magnetos-celebrate-end-of-the-school-year-with-annual-barbeque/

Jun 02

Save the Date: Magnet Orientation for Incoming Freshmen

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/06/save-the-date-magnet-orientation-for-incoming-freshmen/

May 31

Celebrating Our Graduating Seniors!

We wanted to take a moment to celebrate our amazing class of 2026!

As the school year comes to an end and seniors officially complete their senior boards, we couldn’t be prouder of everything they’ve accomplished. This year, magneto graduates are headed everywhere from UW right here at home to Johns Hopkins in Maryland, pursuing their passions and taking next steps in their academic journeys.

Our recent video highlighting seniors has gained traction on social media (around 30k views!), and it’s incredible to see people from the community and beyond coming together to support our graduating class.  Be sure to check it out and join us in congratulating our class of 2026. Your futures are bright, and we can’t wait to see what you will do next!

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/05/celebrating-our-graduating-seniors/

May 30

Recapping our 19th MST Symposium

On May 20th, students of all four grades came together in our 19th annual MST Research Symposium to share the joy of research and collaboration. Students presented the projects that they had been working on for the school year before gathering in the theater for an awards presentation and a senior student Q&A panel. Thank you to all the family members, friends, and future magnetos who attended, and congratulations and good luck to our graduating seniors!

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/05/recapping-our-19th-mst-symposium/

May 16

Magnet Students Excel at BPA Regional Science Bowl!

On February 28th, our Sophomores Narayan C., Sujatha C., Alex Y., Chloe L., Emily L., Alyssa W., and Freshmen Eric C. and Isaac S. proudly represented Camas High School at the 2026 BPA Regional Science Bowl held at the University of Portland. The teams performed exceptionally well, winning all of their round-robin games and advancing to the double-elimination round in #4 and #5 place out of 16 teams.

Congratulations, Science Bowl-ers! We’re looking forward to seeing you compete again next year!

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/05/magnet-students-excel-at-bpa-regional-science-bowl/

Apr 27

From Magnet to Medical Research: An Alumna’s Journey to Publication

Recently, class of 2024 Magnet alumna Madi Williams published research in the Life journal on peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Through a collegiate program called MedRamp, her team analyzed data on genetic mutations across patient groups and compared variations by ethnicity and gender, with the goal of better understanding how the cancer occurs across populations in order to improve prevention and treatment.

What stood out to Madi the most wasn’t just the research process, but the broader impact that it could have. “We’re looking at the whole person and all of the factors that could contribute,” she says, “so that was exciting, and we hope to help more people in the future with that data.”

With her research published, Madi has accomplished an incredible milestone in her academic career. When asked what prepared her most for this experience, Madi emphasizes that the Magnet program played a major role in helping her feel comfortable with the research process by teaching her important skills such as structuring a research paper. She also greatly appreciates the variety of research projects she completed in high school through Magnet that helped pave the path toward the research that she decided to pursue in college.

Beyond academics, Madi highlights the importance of connection within the Magnet program. “I think Magnet classes and the experiences you have help you make connections with your teachers and ask questions to learn more about subjects you’re interested in.” These relationships gave her the confidence to reach out for support and take initiative, skills that continue to shape her college experience today.

Today, Madi continues to build on her strong foundations beyond the classroom. Whether it’s through conducting public health research on childhood stability and long-term health outcomes or competing as a Division I rower, her work reflects the same excellence and initiative that she has always demonstrated.

Madi’s research can be viewed here!

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/04/from-magnet-to-medical-research-an-alumnas-journey-to-publication/

Apr 23

MST Magnet Applications Due Tomorrow!

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/04/mst-magnet-applications-due-tomorrow/

Apr 15

MST Info Night Presentation

Thank you to those who were able to make it to last night’s Zoom Info Night Webinar for the CHS MST Magnet Program. If you were unable to make it and/or you’d like to review the presentation, see below for a recording of the event: MST Info Night, Tuesday, 4/14/26.

Permanent link to this article: https://chsmstmagnet.com/2026/04/mst-info-night-presentation-4/