Last week, five Upper School science students competed in the Science Bowl competition, hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. This year marked St. Margaret’s first entry into the event, which brought together 20 schools from the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas, along with participants from Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The participants were Richard Feng, Rogan Wu, Riley Bredall, Leo Yang and Jinbo Yao. They were accompanied by Upper School science department chair Edmund Herlihy. 

The Science Bowl is organized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which works to make math and science both fun and accessible for students. The DOE aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, nurturing interest in these fields and encouraging students to pursue careers in science and technology.

The competition format sees teams of 4-5 students, guided by a teacher-coach, battling it out in a fast-paced question-and-answer format. The regional event serves as a qualifier for the National Science Bowl held in Washington, D.C. each spring, where the top team from each region competes at the national level.