University High School recently took top honors in a tournament at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that tested students’ knowledge of the ocean.
Hosted by JPL in Pasadena, the Los Angeles Surf Bowl was among nearly 20 regional Ocean Sciences Bowls held across the nation. Each was coordinated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and inspire them to become environmental stewards.
University High beat seven other schools from L.A. and Orange counties. Its team includes seniors Claudia Kahana, Julianne Wu and captain Maia Kopylova, sophomores Matthew Feng and Angelina Yan, and science teacher Ruby-Ann Lopez, who serves as coach.
The University High team spent several months preparing by practicing each week for two hours in subjects that included biology, chemistry, geography, marine policy, physical oceanography and the social sciences.
During the competition, teams were given five seconds to answer multiple-choice questions and team-challenge questions, in which they worked together to find an answer.
