Yuchen Li, Nikola Tesla STEM High School, can now add gold medal winner to his resume. Li competed for Team USA at the 13th annual International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) in Daegu, South Korea August 26 to September 3. This was the best year ever for Team USA, winning a total of five medals and best practical exam. Li was one of the two members from Team USA who took home a gold medal. Only five percent of the test takers at this year’s Olympiad scored well enough on the exam to receive a gold medal. 

The IESO is an annual competition for secondary school students  The students have to test their skills in all major areas of Earth sciences. These categories include geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, terrestrial astronomy and environmental sciences. 

Before the international event, 30 top-scoring students from across the nation are invited to participate in the United States Earth Science Olympiad (USESO) summer program. The program takes place at the University of Vermont. These students are selected from hundreds of applicants based on their performance on the USESO National Open Exam administered every year. After several rounds of advanced theoretical and practical examinations, eight students are selected from the summer program to represent the United States at the IESO.