August 12, 2005

HIGH SCHOOL SCENE

Evergreen student brings home silver medal from International Biology Olympiad

Four-member U.S. team wins four medals

Steven Hao, a 2005 Silver Creek graduate and valedictorian, returned from the International Biology Olympiad with a silver medal in hand.

(From left) The entire U.S. team—Robin Zhou, Grace Eckhoff, Chris Krueger and Steven Hao—took home a winning medal from the recent International Biology Olympiad in Beijing, China.

The IBO was hosted this year in Beijing, China, for approximately 200 students representing 50 countries.

Each of the four members of the U.S. team received a medal from the premiere biology competition for top high school students. Christopher Krueger from Smoky Hill High School in Colorado and Robin Zhou from Alhambra High School in southern California brought home gold medals.

Grace Eckhoff from Bellaire High School in Texas, along with Evergreen’s Hao, took home a silver medal.

Although this was Hao’s first international competition, it was not his first visit to Beijing, his birthplace. “Overall, the 10 days in Beijing were unforgettable,” he said. “It was definitely a rare opportunity to have such as diverse and interesting group of people in one place, and being in such an incredible city as Beijing really made it exciting.”

Hao is currently wrapping up an internship he won with Agilent Technologies, and in a few weeks, he heads off to Yale University.

The Center for Excellence in Education sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), and the USA Biology Olympiad for high school students. For more information about the Center and its programs, visit CEE’s Web site at www.cee.org.

Kelly Shu selected as National Merit Scholarship winner

Evergreen Valley High School graduate Kelly Shu has been selected as a National Merit Scholar-ship winner. A 2005 valedictorian, Shu will soon be heading to the University of California, Los Angeles with plans to major in business economics.

Kelly Shu

The 2005 National Merit Scholarship competition began when more than 1.3 million juniors in approximately 21,000 U.S. high schools took the 2003 preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholar-ship Qualifying Test as an initial screen of program entrants.

In September 2004, about 16,000 students, representing less than one percent of each state’s seniors, were named semifinalists. To become finalists, semifinalists had to present an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal, confirm their qualifying test performance on a second test and write an essay describing activities, interests and goals.

More than 15,000 semifinalists advanced to the finalist level, and about half of this group was chosen to receive National Merit Scholarship awards in 2005.

“Kelly is not only a true scholar, but she also exemplifies the multidimensional qualities necessary to achieve this honor,” said Bob Nunez, acting superintendent for the East Side Union High School District. “She is definitely a role model for all East Side students.”