The newest opportunity for students who are passionate about science arrives at Malden High in the form of the Science Olympiad Team. Founded by sophomore Raphael Orcino, the team strives to fuel a collaborative environment where students will be able to expand their scientific interests both inside and outside of the Science Olympiad Competition.
Being held at the Wentworth Institute of Technology on March 2nd, the Massachusetts State Science Olympiad Competition pits students from high schools around the state against each other to compete in a total of 26 events including various topics such as engineering, physics, chemistry, earth science, and biology. The teams that are recognized for their excellency can advance onto the national level.
Malden students can finally experience this science phenomenon for themselves and explore the different fields of science surrounded by an empowering environment by joining the Olympiad team. “I enjoyed participating in the Science Olympiad in my freshman year spent at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School and after recently realizing the positive impact it had on my interests in the sciences, it prompted me to provide the opportunity to people here at Malden High,” Orcino explained.
Participating in this event opens countless doors to Malden students to not only challenge themselves but to also learn from their peers. “I think it’s a great opportunity because we get to see what other schools are up to, we can see other schools’ science programs and we can keep improving our science culture here at Malden,” John Frigo, the team’s advisor, expressed.
The skills gained from this event can carry into the futures of participants as well, setting them up for success in any of their future scientific endeavors. “I think the Science Olympiad is fun for a lot of students, they’ll have to study a little bit to prepare, but they’ll be preparing themselves for more difficult science questions that will come later in life,” Frigo continued.
With the competition being a couple short weeks away, there will be only a few meetings held in preparation where students will be able to plan how to make the most out of the annual event. “As of right now, we haven’t held our first meeting yet, but after that’s done we will do practice exams to determine what field of science people are good at that they are unaware of and build on from there,” Orcino shared.
There is a maximum of 15 members allowed to be on the team, this limitation however will not stop the member selection from being inclusive to all different types of talents. “Having dedication, leadership, and being morally well-rounded are the main factors that I consider when choosing the members that make it onto the main roster of our team,” Orcino concluded.
Any students who are interested in taking part of this scientific journey can visit the Science Olympiad Team’s Instagram page @maldenhigh_scioly for updates on informational and general meetings as well as the google form application link.
