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Okkodo, Guam High students take first place in UOG’s Chemistry Titration Competition

Okkodo, Guam High students take first place in UOG’s Chemistry Titration Competition

Okkodo, Guam High students take first place in UOG’s Chemistry Titration Competition


4/2/2026
Winners of the Best Individual Award: (From left) Professor of Chemistry Tedros Bezabeh; Colleen Concepcion, first place, Okkodo High School); Anna Ric, second place, JFK High School; Krishela Austria, third place, Okkodo High School; and Assistant Professor of Chemistry John Limtiaco. 
Winners of the Best Lab Skills Award: (From left) Professor of Chemistry Tedros Bezabeh; Daisy Zhang, third place, St. John's School; Gyubin Suh, second place, St. John's School; Logan Osterson, first place, Guam High School; and Assistant Professor of Chemistry John Limtiaco. 
Alwyn Lin, left, and Gyubin Suh of St. John’s School won third place in the Best Team category at the UOG High School Chemistry Titration Competition on March 5.
Natalie Camacho, JFK High School
Kaitlyn Ong, Tiyan High School
Bin Jin, Harvest Christian Academy
UOG chemistry majors Cassandra Paule and Reina Evangelista serving as judges for the competition
UOG chemistry majors Veronica Obias and Atasha Bautista serving as judges for the competition
UOG Assistant Professor of Chemistry John Limtiaco provides instructions to the high school competitors at the start of the Chemistry Titration Competition on March 5, 2026, at UOG. 
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Students from Okkodo, Guam High, John F. Kennedy, St. John’s, and Harvest Christian Academy high schools took home trophies this year following the 17th annual University of Guam Chemistry Titration Competition. This year’s competition, held during UOG’s Charter Day celebration on March 5, 2026, hosted nine high schools and 36 students — one of the largest turnouts since the competition began. 

Organized by the chemistry faculty under the UOG College of Natural & Applied Sciences with chemistry majors serving as the judges, the two-part competition tests students’ lab skills and precision in determining the concentration of a base and the mass of an acid through titration — or volume measurement.

A high school student in a lab coat working with liquids in the lab"My students look forward to the annual UOG Chemistry Titration Competition," said Kathy Yang, a science teacher at St. John's High School. "It's allowed them to enhance their chemistry knowledge and skills outside the classroom in a friendly, academic competition. It's also a fun, socializing opportunity with their peers in and outside of our school."

The students were judged on an individual basis as well as on a team basis. Securing the top scores for this year's Individual, Team, and Lab Skills awards were:

A high school student using a burette in a chemistry labBest Individual

  • 1st: Colleen Concepcion (Okkodo)
  • 2nd: Anna Ric (JFK)
  • 3rd: Krishela Austria (Okkodo)

Best Laboratory Skills

  • 1st: Logan Osterson (Guam High)
  • 2nd: Gyubin Suh (St. John's)
  • 3rd: Daisy Zhang (St. John's)

Best Team

  • 1st: Colleen Concepcion and Krishela Austria (Okkodo)
  • 2nd: Ian Frick and Bin Jin (Harvest Christian Academy)
  • 3rd: Gyubin Suh and Alwyn Lin (St. John's)

"Going into the competition, I was worried about my nervousness affecting my performance," said Colleen Concepcion of Okkodo High School. "Thankfully, once we actually started the competition, I gradually became calmer because all the practice we did prior to the competition allowed me to feel more confident and adjusted to the environment and procedures." 

Also participating in the competition were Notre Dame High School, Father Dueñas Memorial School, Tiyan High School, and Academy of Our Lady of Guam.

Students who have participated in the UOG Chemistry Titration Competition in the past have gone on to attend UOG and then to obtain advanced degrees. Karen Bacalia, a winner of the 2016 competition while attending Academy of Our Lady, went on to earn dual bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and agriculture from UOG in 2021 and then to a nutritional sciences doctorate program at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Allen Marc Soriano, a student from Father Dueñas Memorial School who won in 2009, earned a biology degree from UOG and ultimately became a licensed pharmacist at Guam Regional Medical City. 

"Winning the competition taught me a lot about being patient and trusting the process, especially in something as precise as titration," said Krishela Austria from Okkodo High School. "It helped me see how much I enjoy this field. More than that, it gave me confidence in myself and reassured me that pursuing a future in this path is something I truly want to do."

Dr. Maika Vuki, associate dean of UOG’s College of Natural & Applied Sciences, encouraged the high school students to continue pursuing science and other STEM fields and to consider degree paths available at UOG. The UOG Chemistry Program offers concentrations in chemistry, pre-pharmacy, and forensic chemistry.

More photos are available on the University of Guam’s Flickr page.