April 6, 2022

Two advance to National Chemistry Olympiad

Two Upper St. Clair High School students were recently invited to participate in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad. Sophomore Alex Sun and junior Sophia Song were nominated by the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society based on their performance on the local exam.

The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad is a chemistry competition. The local competition is open to all high school students. ACS local sections choose nominees for the national exam. Alex and Sophia were sponsored by Laura Marks, Upper St. Clair High School science teacher.

“Our students annually participate in this competition,” Mrs. Marks said. “This is only the second time our students were chosen to sit for the national exam, last year being the first national invite.”

Alex was among the top three in scoring for the local section and will receive a monetary reward.

The national exam, scheduled for April 23 through May 1, involves three parts administered to more than 1,000 students. The 20 top-scoring students will have the opportunity to attend a study camp where students are selected for the international competition.

The U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad is a multi-tiered chemistry competition for high school students. Sponsored by the American Chemical Society since 1984, the competition’s purpose is to stimulate young people to achieve excellence in chemistry.