NATCHEZ — After making it all the way to the state’s second science fair regional competition, Terranishala “Tee” Hannon, 13, is ready for next year’s project.

Hannon, now an eighth-grader at Morgantown Arts Academy, first started her involvement with science fairs when she was in the fifth grade. She chose to work on a project to research which clothes detergent is best on stains.

“It was based on seeing the stains on our clothes,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure my family was using the right detergent.

“The Tide powder was the best.”

Hannon continued that pragmatic view of figuring out her projects over the next several years, and came in first place in the district twice, this year and when she was in sixth grade.

This year her project was in which original flavored potato chip was the greasiest — Lays, Lays Oven Baked, Kettle Cooked and Pringles — because she and her family eat lots of chips. Hannon said original Lays had the most fat, so the presumption was that brand would be the greasiest.

“It was actually the Pringles,” she said. “The oven baked chips were the least greasy.”

Unlike the Tide experiment, she wasn’t as sure that she’d get her family to switch,

“It’ll make you think twice,” she said. “Seeing that much grease will make you want to eat nothing but the oven baked chips.”

Hannon’s aunt, Liz Evans said with a smile, “But they aren’t as good.”

Evans said after the project won at the district level, it went on to win first place in Hattiesburg, which propelled the project to the University of Mississippi in Oxford for the Region 7 competition.

Only five projects were selected at the Region 7 event, but Evans and Hannon both thought it was a good experience for her, even though she didn’t win.

“There were 300 different projects there, and she got to see a lot of them and talk to the different students,” Evans said. “It was a good opportunity to see all of that, plus she got to visit a college.”

“It was a good experience. It showed me where hard work can get you,” Hannon said.

When she isn’t at school, Hannon said she likes to play basketball, shop and watch TV — mostly the Disney channel. Her father and brother also own horses.

“I like to ride horses out in the country,” she said. “I like to just shoot and play basketball with my neighbors, but I might try out for the Natchez High team.”

Evans said with any luck, maybe Hannon would get an athletic scholarship. Though Evans said if she keeps doing well in these science fairs, she’ll net some academic ones.

Hannon said she hopes to attend Alcorn State University one day, and she’s still figuring out a possible field of study that interests her.

She’s also a dedicated member of Christian Hope Baptist Church, where she is an usher, sings on the choir and is the secretary of her Sunday school class.

“I think it is good to learn about the Lord,” she said. “I just saw the other kids get involved and it made me want to.

“I think it’s good to give back to the church.”