[UNCW Science Olympiad Award Ceremony, Photo Credit by Seowoo Cho]

At the regional science fair held at the University of North Carolina Wilmington on March 8, Hoggard High School secured first, Isaac Bear Early College High School placed second, and Chapel Hill High School placed third in Division C.

Every year,  around this time in March, the regional Science Olympiad competition opens its doors to middle school and high school students eager to compete. 

The Science Olympiad is one of the most renowned academic competitions in the United States. 

Established in 1974, it is now one of the most prestigious academic competitions in the U.S.

Each age group is divided into 3 districts.

District A (elementary school), Division B (Middle School), and Division C (High School) compete in the events assigned to represent their schools.

Science Olympiad includes 23 diverse events, such as chemistry lab, helicopter building, and geologic mapping, providing different scientific fields for students with an interest.

Each event typically falls into one of the three main categories: knowledge-based tests, experiments, and building events that require engineering-based knowledge.

Achieving success in the competition is a rigorous process that demands extensive preparation. 

Most participants dedicate several months to study, experiment, build, and collaborate with their partners to prepare.

According to Mr. Bishop, the coach and manager teacher of the Science Olympiad club of Isaac Bear, “Essentially, people need to be dedicated and have high preparation in order to win this tournament. Only a few people show this dedication.”

Not only the coordinator but the 5 participants who won medals who were interviewed emphasized perseverance and hard work to win.

Abigail, one of the participants, shared, “You need good time management and organizational skills to make sure that every event is well prepared!”

Though the event is demanding and preparation-intensive, the Science Olympiad gives unique experiences and knowledge.

One of the participants, Ayouba, noted, “I enjoyed the event not only because I was interested in that topic, but I had the passion to dive into it.”

Also, the Isaac Bear Science Olympiad club president, Scott, said, “Over the whole year, I get to see how people change into leaders, problem-solvers, and friends who care about learning, but moreover care about winning.”

Beyond scientific knowledge, it also gives cooperation and opportunities to make new friends because of the strong bond and endless work that the teammates have to do together.

Due to the Science Olympiad, some people have gotten a lot of opportunities and prosperity as well.

Mr. Bishop also added that participants of the Science Olympiad not only get a good resume and scholarships that they get offered, but mostly students gain confidence after they participate in the Science Olympiad.

Scott agreed, adding, “I’ve noticed how many students gain confidence- they thought they weren’t smart enough for science, but by the end of the year, they wanted to pursue it full-time. What makes stories powerful isn’t just the medal, it's the growth in confidence.”

With the regional competitions completed, qualifying students are now gearing up for the state-level tournament, another hurdle to leap.

Science Olympiad is more than just a competition- it is an invaluable opportunity for every student with an interest in science.