The PDS high school Science Olympiad team had a successful season this year. After achieving favorable results in the regional competition, they moved on to the state competition where they displayed a strong performance.

Looking back on the season, team cohead senior Evan Lin commented, “It was a blast leading the Science Olympiad this year! Our team chemistry grew substantially and we had strong showings in several events. We have improved so much, and the team will continue to grow next year.” There were many returning members this year as well as some new additions to the team, which ensures the enduring legacy of the program. 

One of the new members was sophomore Stellan Salvner. Salvner recalled that “It being my first year in the Science Olympiad I felt it was a great experience. I really enjoyed being able to build a sense of community with my fellow team members. I was able to gain a greater perspective into the inner workings of the program.” Salvner is one of many team members who plan on participating in the program next year as well. Some of the veterans will be heading off to college in June, so we can expect to see an influx of new talent and enthusiasm into the program as well as an almost entirely new leadership team.

Though the season was successful, There were some challenges at the state competition. Many of the events were not scheduled well, leading to confusion and time conflicts for team members who were double booked. Some students had to substitute for others without being prepared for the event or without the necessary materials. For this reason, the team’s performance was not as strong as they would have liked for those events. This is something that many team members would like to see improved by the state competition organizers next season. Perhaps by more promptly sending out the schedule for the day so that students can plan their events in advance or by spreading out events over a longer period of time so as to allow those competing in multiple events time to accommodate them. 

With a successful season behind them—despite a few challenges—the team moves forward toward next year in true PDS fashion. Not only did the team perform well in quite a few events, but they have emerged with invaluable experience for their events next year. With new members and a growing team, the team looks forward to a spectacular season in 2025.