Academic Team Places 5th at Rigorous State Competition
Congratulations to Saint Viator’s Academic Team on placing 5th out of 31 teams at the state finals of the Academic Challenge, sponsored by the University of Illinois and its Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering initiative, last month. The team also brought home two individual first-place state medals.
Laila Azari '23 took first place in the Biology division, and Chris Rapala '22 took first place in the engineering graphics division. Rowen McDonnell '22 also placed fifth in English.
The state-qualifying team this year included seniors, Ricky Anesi, Anna Bartelt, Julia Benkendorf, Madeline Dauphin, Paige Dzierzak, Camille Martinez, Rowan McDonnell, Chris Rapala, Mikey Schumacher, John Streck, and juniors, Laila Azari, Henry Jochaniewicz, Mary Grace Lynch, and Colton Schwabe.
The Academic Challenge dates back more than 25 years. Its immediate goal is to attract a greater number of talented and diverse students to careers in engineering and the sciences.
Each year, the contest is offered to high school students in Illinois and Missouri by more than 50 community colleges and universities. Test material is drawn from senior high school and freshman level college curricula and is written by teams of college and university faculty. The level of difficulty increases at each stage.
Saint Viator High School
Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.