On June 24-28 seniors Mackenna Watkins, Anushka Pradhan, Sydney Chowdhury, and Alison Rashidi competed for the national title in the Skills USA health knowledge quiz bowl in Louisville, Kentucky. The team placed tenth in the nation.

The competition was not easy, but the team was satisfied with their placing due to it being their first year competing.

“It was very rewarding even being able to get the experience of going to nationals, but then ranking 10th was very shocking to me. Even though we hoped we would get higher, it was a great learning experience,” Watkins said.

The competition consisted a written test that could give the team up to 200 points and a quiz bowl that rewarded up to 800 points.

“My favorite part of the competition was the quiz bowl part where you have to answer any healthcare question under a specific time limit because it lets you work as a team. The written test was completely different than at nationals so we weren’t fully prepared,” Rashidi said.

The girls were grateful for the opportunity to travel with their teammates and bond over their shared interests.

“Being able to travel with some of my closest friends to reach the same goal was the best part. I also got to make many new friends who share the same passion,” Pradhan said.

All of the team members agree that they learned extremely valuable information from being a part of the team and competing.

“I think the most valuable thing I learned would be accountability and the importance of a good work ethic,” Chowdhury said.

The team is already preparing to compete this school year in hopes of placing even higher at state.