Science Olympiad

Words: 423
Pages: 2

Shock. That was my first reaction. Then panic set in as I surveyed the scene: not a book in sight, music blasting, chips and soda littering the tables, and my teammates laughing and chatting loudly. This was definitely not what I expected a Science Olympiad meeting to look like.

A few weeks earlier, all students interested in the Science Olympiad had taken a test on chemistry, biology, earth science, and physics. This test would determine which of the school's three teams (A, B, and C) the student would be placed on, if any. To my extreme disappointment, I was placed on the lowest ranking of the three teams. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, however, I realized I could learn from the experience. So, I asked my advisor for tips, studied
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I answered my own question, comparing our progress to that of other teams. Knowing the students on my team were both intelligent and competitive, I knew an approach that showed them how behind they were would motivate them. And it did, for a little while.

But a few weeks later, they again began to lose hope, thinking the label on the team determined their success. To combat this, I led by example. I worked harder than anyone on the other teams, and this motivated my teammates to catch up. We exerted ourselves to the maximum, and our efforts paid off as we ranked 3rd at the regional competition, even beating the other teams on many events.

J. Carla Nortcutt once said, "The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves." This was exactly what I had to do in motivating my team. I had to take responsibility of my team before myself, and put their progress above mine. This made Science Olympiad a tremendous learning experience, since I learned not only the role of G-coupled protein receptors in homeostasis, but crucial leadership skills such as collaborating with teammates despite our potential