Nathan Montelongo, a seventh grader at De Zavala Middle School in the La Joya Independent School District, won second place in the engineering category at the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in Washington, D.C. The award includes a $2,500 scholarship to a STEM summer camp. Thirty finalists took part. A nationwide panel of scientists, engineers and educators selected them based on their research projects.
The competition aims to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators. Montelongo said he did not expect to win. "I was really shocked and it was really cool," he said. His older brother, Gary Montelongo, competed in the same event two years ago. Nathan's project looked at how chitosan, a substance found in shellfish, could reduce microplastic pollution in river water.
During the week, Montelongo worked in a group with other students on activities, tests and projects. He said he gained experience working as a team and putting ideas together to find solutions.