“Try out what you want to do. Like it or don’t. Then stick with it.” That was my mindset that I wholly believed in as I stepped into high school in my freshman year. I was willing to try things I normally had no interest in, one of which was science. Science was not my prerogative, as my interest in it was very little and didn’t occupy space in my mind beyond what I needed to achieve an A within the class. 

However, Science Olympiad (SciOly) first sparked my interest at Spring Preview, as it was one of the many academic teams across campus. However whimsical it may seem, SciOly caught my attention because they asked trivia questions, which, if you got them right, the reward was candy. I tried out for it before the start of school, and it was surprising to myself how much I wanted to get on the team and how I studied the test packet even on the way to the tryout rooms. That surprise escalated even further when I was admitted to the interview round, and finally, onto the team. It was the first school “team” that I was a part of. 

It’s safe to say that Science Olympiad is what officially changed my apathy for science to interest and, later, to passion for the subject. I had always thought that if someone were to ask me what I liked about science, I would’ve answered something like “biology, because it’s easy” when in reality, I had barely scratched the surface of what biology actually was. It was SciOly that introduced me to the world of science and the depth of it all compared to the basics I learned from middle school. Interesting, fascinating, and containing new concepts of different events and branches, SciOly gave me a new perspective on science. 

Science Olympiad also gave me more of an opportunity to also shed away my middle school unmotivated self and to branch out more with others. There’s a whole new community of peers who share the same interest and passion for science, eager to explore and learn more as I am. The challenge of responsibility and commitment taught me how to grow as a person, to develop better organizational skills and time management habits. 

Thank you, Science Olympiad, for accepting me into the team. Although I didn’t have confidence I would make it, I’m happy to be a part of a team so passionate about their interests, supportive as friends, and so joyously funny! I would never have known just how much I liked science if it was not for SciOly. The liveliness within this team makes for great entertainment, and I love every single meeting and every bonding event, and wish everyone good luck on our tournaments!