Sevanna Power, 12, was the named the overall winner of the Yuma County Science Expo on Thursday for her project called Rhyme Time.

Power, a sixth-grade student from Carpe Diem School, was awarded $200 cash from APS and a $500 scholarship to the University of Arizona on behalf of the UA Alumni Club for winning Best in Show. She also received a $100 cash prize for winning in her category, a $75 cash prize from Yuma Regional Medical Center for winning Best Elementary School Project and a $500 scholarship to Arizona Western College.

She explained that her project focused on the neuropsychological capabilities of the brain. Power said that she gave different types of poems to students and gave them five minutes to try and memorize it. She used a rhythm, rhyme, free verse and visual poems.

At first I was thinking that the rhythm poems would be easiest to memorize because you see kids going around singing songs and not quoting from books. But throughout my research, I found out that the visual was easier for most students because they were able to think of a picture and respond to that by thinking of the words they missed.

She said that her parents as well as her teacher this year, Jayashree Chopra, and her teacher last year, Amanda Stoermer, helped motivate her to do her best.

Power added that she plans to use the funds she received to save up for college.

This year's Yuma County Science Expo consisted of over 470 science projects with 568 students participating in the annual event.

Over $5,200 in cash prizes were distributed to category winners as well as $2,500 in college scholarships to grade level winners. For the elementary school division, first-place winners received $100, second place $50 and third place $35. In the middle school division, first-place winners received $100, second place $75 and third place $50. For the high school division, first-place winners received $150, second place $75 and third place $50.

Fifteen-year-old Pam Pircaro, a ninth-grade student from Harvest Preparatory Academy, was awarded the overall winner in the high school division and said that her project was on the speed of light.

She received a $150 cash prize for winning in her category as well as a $100 cash prize from the YRMC Foundation for winning Best High School Project. She was also awarded with a $500 scholarship to AWC and a $500 scholarship to Northern Arizona University-Yuma.

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'Rhyme Time' is top winner at Yuma County Science Expo