Science Olympiad Personal Statement

Hundreds of thoughts swarm through my head, as I think of potential car and launcher designs. It was the beginning of 8th grade. A new year of middle school, a new year of Science Olympiad, a new year of studying for my events, and a new year of challenges: my first building event, Scrambler. I’ve always been interested in science, specifically medicine, ever since I was 7 or 8. I read a book called When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Doctor, which inspired me to aspire to become a doctor. Ever since then, I’ve been exploring the field of science and medicine through a variety of learning experiences such as Science Olympiad, a science competition consisting of several events that cater to a variety of fields in science. This year, my partner and I were faced with the task of building a mechanical vehicle, powered by a falling mass, that is capable of traveling down a straight, level track with a barrier at the end while carrying an

“How about we use a pulley system with a weight at the end to push the car forward?” my team member suggested. “Or we could use a hammer launcher,” I proposed. We went back and forth, contemplating different methods. We faced trials, tribulations, and troubles in the design process. Building and perfecting our designs took weeks, but our coach guided us throughout the process and encouraged us to “Never give up!” We researched the effects of different factors that could potentially come in the way of our success and analyzed all of the device possibilities. Even when research got arduous and we couldn’t agree on something, we never gave up on our dream of placing in the regional competition. This was one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced in my Science Olympiad career, but our unfaltering dedication and our belief in success helped us persist in the face of setbacks. Once we finished our plan, we began to build the device. It was exhilarating to see our plan come to