May 16, 2025
East Ridge High’s Jasmine Gaines Charts A Brilliant Course to International Science Fair
By Kyle Coppola
East Ridge High’s Jasmine Gaines Charts A Brilliant Course to International Science Fair
Clermont, FL. – Congratulations to East Ridge High School student Jasmine Gaines who won at the Regeneron ISEF in Ohio this past week.
A beacon of brilliance both in the classroom and the community, Gaines is already a standout for her work at the Lake County Science Fair and the Florida State Science Fair, but has now won at one of the biggest science fairs of them all, The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). It’s a science fair that few are able to make it to. Fewer still do so with the passion, and powerful mind of Jasmine Gaines.
“She is truly an asset to our school and community,” says Dolores Hernandez who is the East Ridge High Biology Teacher. “We are SOOO PROUD of all the work she’s done this year. It’s nothing short of extraordinary.”
While her accolades are not won on fields of turf or hardwood courts, they are no less rooted in the competitive spirit. The science fair circuit demands the same grit and dedication seen in the most elite athletes. With every experiment and presentation, Gaines has competed on a global scale—representing not just her school, but Lake County, her county, and a vision of what’s possible.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
