Several Naperville North High School students were honored this week by the Naperville District 203 School Board and administrators.
The school’s Science Bowl team recently won their 9th consecutive state championship, earning the team the opportunity to compete in the 35th annual National Science Bowl Championship in Washington, D.C., from April 24 to 28.
To get to the national competition, Naperville North students had to beat out teams from William Fremd High School in Palatine, Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora and Neuqua Valley High School, an Indian Prairie School District 204 school also in Naperville.
The Naperville North Science Bowl has represented Illinois in the national championship 16 times in the past 24 years the club has been sponsored by coach Kevin Farrell.
The event is a quiz-bowl format in which students have to buzz in and answer questions on science and math topics, Farrell said. Teams across the country try to earn an all-expense trip to compete in the biggest science competition of its kind, which has been funded by the Department of Energy has funded the competition for the past 35 years, he said.
Team members are Emily Hu, Michelle Xiang, Adi Bawiskar, Jeffery Tong and Kyle Wang.
Six Naperville North students also were recognized by the for being selected as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, which was established in 1964 to recognize some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors.
Scholars are chosen for leadership and service to school and community. Up to 161 are chosen each year, and it is considered one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students, officials said.
Naperville North students named Presidential Scholars candidates are Aanika Parekh, Chloe Chen, Anderson Peng, Cathy Yang, Jai Gupta, Sophia Xi.
In April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars will review the applications to select up to 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars, the U.S. Department of Education’s website said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
