Alumni
Lt. Dan Berschinski, former Science Olympiad team member from Booth Middle School and a West Point graduate, pictured on duty in Afghanistan.
Once you've been a part of Science Olympiad, you're tagged for life. Shout "I am a Science Olympiad alum!" and chances are you'll turn a few million heads. Over the past 28 years, Science Olympiad has assembled an alumni base larger than most major universities.
In 2011, in accordance with our long-term partnership with the University of Illinois, we launched the Science Olympiad Endowment Fund at the University of Illinois Foundation to provide Urban Schools Initiative grants, scholarships, state support and research grants. Science Olympiad alumni are vital to the growth and longevity of the program!
Please fill out our Alumni Survey and tell us how Science Olympiad shaped your life.
Alumni notes
"As a 5th grader, I became hooked on Science Olympiad thanks to creative events like Straw Towers and Mystery Powders. As I look back on the eight years I participated, I marvel at how Science Olympiad magically made science cool in the eyes of ordinary teenagers. The cheering support of dedicated parents and coaches and the competitive spirit of my friends played an integral part in nurtuting my love for science. I now perform research at the GE Global Research Center and continue to enjoy seeing science make a difference in the world." - Dr. Jed Pack, Imaging Scientist, GE Global Research Center, New York
"Science Olympiad helped me develop my naturally inquisitive nature and it was a great team building and bonding experience." - Aimee Bierman, Attorney, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP
"Science Olympiad really galvanized my pursuit of an engineering career and truly excited me about about becoming an inventor and creator of things." - Scott Cornelson, Design Engineer, Campbell Scientific Inc.
"In high school, Science Olympiad was an integral part of my growing love of science, engineering, and experimentation. I never stopped enjoying the process of design and creation, both in reality and in the computer -- I now work on Google SketchUp and the 3D Warehouse." - Dr. Brian Brewington, Software Engineer, Google
Alumni Highlight
Many Science Olympiad alumni have gone on to successful careers in the US Armed Forces, and we'd like to share the story of one of our own -- Lt. Dan Berschinski, a soldier who served in Afghanistan and lost both legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) while his unit secured a village. Lt. Dan recovered at Walter Reed Medical Center, surrounded by friends and loved ones.
For three years, Dan was a valued member of the Science Olympiad team at JC Booth Middle School in Peachtree City, Georgia. His coach, Mary Wilde, still a close friend of the family, recalls that Dan and his parents were very involved and supportive of Science Olympiad. “While he was on the team, he won gold in Road Scholar and also did well in Reach for the Stars and Trajectory,” said Coach Wilde.
Since being wounded on August 20, 2009, Lt. Dan endured several surgeries and faced months of rehabilitation. His story gained the attention of many local and national publications, so please visit his blog to read articles in The Washington Post, The Stars and Stripes and watch coverage on many TV stations, both local and national. In 2010, Lt. Dan was honored to meet former Georgia Senator and triple amputee Max Cleland, Hon. John McHugh, the Secretary General of the Army, and not lastly, President Barack Obama. After greeting the President personally, Lt. Dan was asked to attend a Purple Heart award ceremony for SPC Sean Burke, a fellow Walter Reed patient recovering from an IED attack who has benefited from Lt. Dan’s friendship and support. Lt. Dan was also invited as an honored guest to President Obama's speech on Afghanistan at West Point.
Coach Wilde remembers Dan as a quiet leader, one whose actions spoke louder than words. “He was dedicated and focused as a student, and I am told that Daniel led his Army unit with that same commitment.” Although years have passed since Dan graduated, Coach Wilde thought of him often, remembering his great sense of humor or how much fun it was to have him on student/teacher trips abroad. “I always felt Daniel was an inspiration. Now, as a soldier, he’s an even bigger inspiration, to all of us.”
Read more about Dan at:
http://danberschinski.blogspot.com/