On February 1, the Science Olympiad team competed at the NYC South Regional competition at Grover Cleveland High School. The team medaled in 12 of the 22 events and placed 5th overall, qualifying to compete at the New York State Tournament on March 20-21.

SciOly president junior Ashley Brachman credits the team’s success to their dedication. ​​“I think that every member did an amazing job staying dedicated to their events, and trying their best to place as high as possible,” she said.

This year, the team introduced many new changes, including a new study session system and allowing Team C to compete at the regional competition for the first time. In prior years, only Team A and Team B competed at the regional competition, with Team C being a “training” team. This marked the first year that all three teams competed at the regional competition

Junior Kayla Chin described how she prepared for Regionals, saying, “I try my best to come to study sessions every day, even if it’s not necessary, because it’s the best time to practice and prepare alongside my partners.” She competed on Team A at regionals and will compete at the State Tournament. “I am hoping to win another medal [at states] again since  it’s really fulfilling to close off the season with such an achievement,” she said.

For sophomore Melissa Tai on Team C, this year was her first time competing in SciOly. She described it as “frightening yet thrilling.” Melissa will also be competing at the State Tournament and credits her success at Regionals to the support she received from her teammates. “[Team A and B] motivated me to work harder in each of my events,” she said.​​

SciOly Coach and Chemistry teacher Olivia Comer defines success beyond medals but rather the community and experiences made along the journey: “When I see team members trusting each other and building a strong connection, that is a big indicator of success to me. I also think that competing at all is a huge undertaking and accomplishment, especially for our first-year members.”

The team is now shifting their focus toward the New York State Tournament, where they will be facing top competitors from across New York. As their preparation continues, the team hopes to build on their success from Regionals.

Junior Sherry Chen, a build coordinator for Science Olympiad, said that “it’s all about having a growth mindset, because if you just have a fixed mindset… then you aren’t able to accomplish [your goal], it degrades your self esteem, and you’re not as motivated.”

“Supporting each other as a team, keeping the spirits up, that’s what makes competitions so successful because obviously we want to support each other, we want to keep the vibes up, we want to motivate each other,” she said.

Similarly, Michael Quach, science teacher and Science Olympiad coach, said,  “Beyond medals and rankings, the success of the team is measured by how much each of the members support each other and how they want to see each other succeed, not just themselves.”