Jacinta Rees will join five of the country’s brightest science students to compete in the world’s most rigorous multi-disciplinary science competition for high school students: the UNESCO-sanctioned 2021 International Junior Science Olympiad.
To gain selection to the team, our Year 10 student outperformed thousands of other competitors in the initial qualifying examination. Jacinta was invited as one of twenty-four science enthusiasts to attend a specialist week-long program during which she studied biology, chemistry and physics up to an advanced Year 12 level. Her exceptional performance in the program secured her a spot on the inaugural Australian team.
Jacinta said she is thrilled to have been selected and is looking forward to representing her country.
“It is an exciting opportunity to grow my knowledge in science and connect with people who love science as much as I do,” said Jacinta.
The International Junior Science Olympiad is an annual competition, but this is the first year Australia has entered a team. Students from approximately seventy countries compete in the hope of being named international champions. This year, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, all students will compete remotely in their home countries. Jacinta will travel to Canberra in December where she will meet her team members and, over seven days, compete in a team practical examination and two individual theory examinations.
At Meriden, Jacinta is excelling in many areas of STEM. Recently, she was selected to participate in Tournament of the Towns, an internationally renowned Mathematics Olympiad in which she will compete against some of the highest-achieving Mathematics students from around the world. She has also been invited to the Earth and Environmental Sciences Olympiad Summer School in January 2022.
Jacinta said she has always been fascinated by science and is planning a career in biomedical engineering following the HSC.
“I love science because it helps explain and make sense of the world that surrounds us,” she said.
“I would highly recommend taking up the opportunity to attend an Olympiad School to any student interested in pursuing a career in science. It is a valuable learning opportunity and it is also lots of fun.”
The School community wishes Jacinta the very best as she embarks on this exciting intellectual challenge and congratulates her on being recognised as one of the brightest minds of her age in the country.
Meriden is an Anglican day school for girls from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. Meriden offers a high-quality and balanced education […]