PHNOM PENH: Students from Golden Gate American School (GGAS) returned to Cambodia with seven medals, including one gold, from the Copernicus Olympiad Global Round held at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
The Copernicus Olympiad is a globally renowned international competition platform where students from 3rd to 12th grade participate in Mathematics, Physics, Natural Sciences, Astronomy and Cyber Security competitions, as well as a Film Festival.
Seven GGAS students won three bronze, three silver and one gold medal from the competition.
Keo Senthiera, an eighth-grade student who won a bronze medal, said that this was the second time he had participated in such an international competition. During his first international competition in England, he also won a silver medal.
“I feel good, but all I want is a gold medal," said Senthiera.
Lim Lychea, a 10th-grade student who placed in the top two of the Natural Science (Category 4) event, said this was his first time taking part in this kind of competition, and he was very happy to receive such a good ranking.
"I feel pretty happy! I wish I [was in first place], but top 2 is pretty good too," he said.
Lychea said that he encountered some difficulties during the competition because all the competitors were outstanding students.
“They are very competitive. They focused on their work as much as I [did]," he said.
More than 1,500 students from 26 countries around the world competed in the Copernicus Olympiad. The Natural Science competition was organized in two stages: first through an online Elimination Round, followed by a Global Round where only those students who achieved a score of more than 40% in the online round were eligible to participate.
Founded in 1996, GGAS is an independent, nonsectarian, Pre-K through 12th Grade school that offers a program that allows students to earn an authentic, American-certified high school diploma.
This is the second time the school has sent students to compete in the Copernicus Olympiad Global Round, while during the first time, 41 students went to compete and won seven gold, 10 silver and 19 bronze medals.
