If you read Jake’s college application essays, you would correctly surmise that Science Olympiad has been a major part of his high school life. He began competing in 7th grade on the small homeschool team.

Six years of Friday night practices and all-day Saturday competitions which include labs, build events, and written tests.

This past Saturday marked the end of the Science Olympiad era, as the Naper Valley Homeschool team competed at Regionals.

Jake had his fan club present all day!

The youngest fan thankfully had a buddy to play with, making the day more enjoyable.

The Wright Stuff event has challenged Jake to learn much about the nuances of glider flight. His partner, Kurt, is also interested in the Air Force Academy.

Another one of the build events is Bridge Building. This is all about building the lightest bridge that holds the most amount of sand. Because 99% of the bridges break, the builder knows he’s building it to break it.

Jake seems to be running into Bill Foster quite a bit these days. A scientist himself, Congressman Foster visited the Regionals tournament to encourage students to continue pursuing science.

Finally, the awards ceremony. Jake took first in Astronomy, his first love in the world of science. This is a sight I will not soon forget.

He finished well, and I consider it a blessing to have been able to participate with him in this significant chapter of his life.