Rochambeau Middle School Students Excel in State Championship

Rochambeau Middle School (RMS) sixth grader Triloshan Thillaikumaran is the state champion for the You Be The Chemist Challenge. RMS student Michelle Lu came in second place and MMS student Ben Ecsedy came in fourth place statewide.

Thillaikumaran moves on to compete in the National You Be the Chemist Challenge held in Philadelphia on June 22, 2015.

This is the fourth year in a row that a Region 15 student was named the state champion for the Challenge. In 2014, Eric Gao was declared state champion and in 2013 and 2012, Henry Hu won the state championship.

Students from three schools from Region 15 and Oxford took a 50-question qualifying exam and the students who had the top five scores from each school advanced to the state challenge. Of the 20 RMS students and 45 MMS students who took the qualifying exam, RMS students Triloshan Thillaikumaran, Michelle Lu, Zach Wisnefsky, Winson Chen, Carolyn Yang, and MMS students Ben Ecsedy, Riley Fitzpatrick, Angela Knowles, Kelvin Zhang, and Jake Remo participated in the state competition.

RMS and MMS teachers held study sessions to help the students prepare for the competition.

According to its website, the You Be the Chemist Challenge is a fun and innovative academic competition that engages students in grades 5-8 in the science of chemistry. Additionally, the challenge provides educators with an exciting way to educate their students about science, encourages parents to participate in their child’s education, and provides industry members a tool to help develop a stronger relationship with their community.

The Chemical Educational Foundation created this academic competition to test middle school students on chemistry concepts, historical discoveries, and safety awareness tips. Challenge competitions take place across the country, encouraging the collaboration of community organizations, schools, and the chemical industry, as together, they educate students about the benefits and value of chemistry. Region 15 is sponsored by Charkit Chemical Corporation.


CUTLINE:
You Be the Chemist State champion, Rochambeau Middle School 6th grader Triloshan Thillaikumaran and second place winner 7th grader Michelle Lu