Science Olympiad placed sixth overall in the regional competition on March 14 at Oakton Community College. Ten students placed in their individual categories and will attend the state competition at McHenry Community College on April 25.
Science Olympiad is made up of a variety of competitions that focus on different scientific fields. Students compete by taking a test, showing their findings and/or presenting their creations.
Physics teacher Maia Gibbs has been sponsoring Science Olympiad for two years. Gibbs says that Science Olympiad helps students see beyond the science taught in a classroom and pushes them to learn more about the sciences they are interested in.
“I love science because it’s super inquiry-based; you can ask questions and get them answered,” Gibbs said. “Especially with Science Olympiad, there are a bunch of events that are challenging and you have to go all in and deep and research it yourself…it pushes your thinking, it makes you think farther and you learn something new in the process. But, it’s so gratifying.”
Senior Sofija Khan competed and placed in both Chemistry Lab and Remote Sensing events. She joined this year after chemistry teacher and Science Olympiad sponsor Brittany Wu suggested she join. Khan is hoping to place in the top five in the state for Chemistry Lab.
“Science Olympiad has given me the chance to dive into chemistry more than ever before, and I hope one day I can call myself a true chemist because of it,” Khan said. “It’s also taught me that showing up is half the battle, and in a competition club like Science Olympiad that is based on points, giving your best shot is always better than not going to the events.”
Khan was hoping to finish her senior year surrounded by a positive community, and she found it in the Science Olympiad team.
“I find that, while winning is still awesome and I love doing so, just being immersed in science and with a team of great people is all I wanted out of my last year at Niles West,” Khan said.
Physics teacher and Science Olympiad sponsor Julia Komrska was in Science Olympiad in high school and described the club as a great outlet for science-driven students.
“In Science Olympiad, we have twenty-three different events, so if you’re into science, there’s something for you,” Komrska said. “There’s something for everyone and there’s just always a really nice community on the team.”
