Bearden’s Science Olympiad recently finished second in one of Tennessee’s regional competitions, and the team is hoping to carry this momentum into the state tournament in April.
Amelie Carrillo, Cordelia Nelson, Max Burgin, and Priya Soneji each contributed to Bearden’s three first-place finishes at the competition.
The team continues to grow their reputation by improving their score from previous years. Program sponsor Mrs. Andrea Hevrdeys attributes this to the team’s diligence inside and outside the classroom.
“Science Olympiad is very self-driven, self-paced, and study-intensive,” Mrs. Hevrdeys said. “Students that are motivated will find their efforts rewarded.”
Soneji, one of the co-presidents, has taken up the responsibility of motivating her team during strenuous competition days.
“Some members will have up to four events back-to-back at competitions, so we needed something to maintain our energy,” Soneji said.
Soneji has found that group exercises, such as card games or even make-shift pickleball have helped boost team morale. Current members appreciate the better comradery and lean into the friendly contests.
“There will be one group of people playing card games, and another using their calculators as pickleball paddles,” Soneji said. “Keeping the pressure light has been a reason for our success.”
Outside of competitions, team members are held accountable for logging their studies beyond the time spent in school. Despite having a rather lofty workload, returning juniors Grae Kammona and Kalen Wilson find that the collaborative atmosphere makes the work more manageable.
“It has been a cool opportunity to work in an environment where everyone is ready and willing to help,” Kammona said.
Added Wilson: “It is easy to be intimidated by the workload, but the community of people that want to see you succeed and the gratification that comes with competition makes it worth it.”
Seeing long hours of studying be recognized in competitions is a driving force for most students. Kammona said she enjoys watching the knowledge learned in school apply to life outside of the classroom.
“Often when test taking, you only get to see a fraction of the content you learned being applied,” Kammona said. “During Science Olympiad, you constantly relate the lessons taught in school to your events and projects.”
Going into state, the Bearden Science Olympiad hopes to beat rival teams Farragut and Cedar Springs (a team of homeschooled students). Soneji hopes that with the group’s experience, they can place higher than last year, or even secure a state title.
The state competition is April 6 on UT’s campus.
“There are a lot more teams competing at state which raises the competition, but it is always our goal to win,” she said, “and beat Farragut.”