Year 13 student Hugo Brown has been named a member of the New Zealand team that will compete in the International Chemistry Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, in July.
The team, which will compete against 80 other countries, is made up of four students and two mentors. The 17-year-old was chosen from more than 200 of New Zealand’s best and brightest students.
Dr Jason McGrath, Hugo’s chemistry teacher at St Paul’s, says it is almost impossible to overstate the significance of Hugo’s selection for the New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad team.
“The selection process for the New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad team is by far the most rigorous and in-depth examination of a secondary school student’s abilities in chemistry, going well beyond the standard curriculum both in scope and difficulty,” Mr McGrath said.
“The four students eventually selected to represent New Zealand are without question the very best in the country."
Hugo’s selection speaks volumes of not only his current knowledge of the subject, but his ability to assimilate and understand new and advanced material.
The chemistry whiz kid finished NCEA a year early, completing levels two and three (both with excellence endorsements) in 2014. He also passed three New Zealand Scholarship examinations, one with an outstanding endorsement.
“His ability to apply his knowledge of chemistry to unfamiliar problems or situations represents a key aspect of what makes a great scientist.
“Should he choose a career in science – and I certainly hope that he will – he has all the tools to become a leader and pioneer in the field of his choosing.”
Hugo was also selected as one of three New Zealand students to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra held in January this year.
