Stakes were high on Feb. 22, when Pembroke Pines Charter’s Science Olympiad competed at the regional level of the club’s annual tournament. The event, which took place at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), invited numerous schools in the area to participate in competitions related to experiments, engineering, and biology.
Senior Annabelle Acevedo, one of the Co-Presidents of Science Olympiad, says “we have been preparing for this since the beginning of the year. We had five teams compete with over 100 members, so it was… extremely challenging to accommodate everyone’s preferences.”
Regionals are highly competitive, with Pines Charter up against magnet and preparatory schools such as American Heritage Schools in Plantation. “We [have been incorporating] study days where members could be taught by the [Science Olympiad] officers,” Acevedo says. She further adds that “Chinedu [Okpala] was in charge of all the engineering events and he led crash courses on how to build robots, wind turbines, helicopters, etc.”
Pembroke Pines Charter Middle School (PPCMS) also participated in the competition. Spearheaded by eighth-grade science and biology teacher Margaret O’Connor, the team was bound for success. Freshman Shriya Sardesai competed at the Science Olympiad regional competition throughout her middle school years at PPCMS, and now is a prominent leader in Division B (middle school section) of the competition.
“Not only did I manage the team, organize events… and workshops, part of my role was being a moral support for everyone, especially the middle schoolers,” Sardesai says. “They all just need some encouragement, a friendly smile, and a high schooler for some help if they need [it].” Confidence can be an obstacle at such competitive tournaments, especially for the middle schoolers.
At the end of the regional tournament, both the middle and high school brought home several medals. Through their hard work and hours of preparation, Science Olympiad aimed for a lot of success and earned it. In March, the club will compete at the state level at the University of Florida, where they’ll hope to achieve even more awards.
