Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists: Lambert High School’s Middle School Biology Olympiad

Lambert High School’s Biology Olympiad Club has long been a hub for students passionate about biology. This year, the club expanded its mission beyond the high school level by launching the Middle School Biology Olympiad, a first-of-its-kind event in metro Atlanta. With more than 200 middle school students from six counties participating, the competition marked a significant milestone for STEM education in the region.
Making Science Accessible and Inspiring a Passion for Learning
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Middle School Biology Olympiad was its accessibility—it was completely free! By eliminating financial barriers, the organizers ensured that all students, regardless of their background, had the opportunity to compete and learn. The event aimed to democratize access to advanced STEM education, potentially reaching over 80,000 students across metro Atlanta.
“We wanted to inspire a lifelong passion for science,” said Sakethram (Saketh) Ramakrishnan, one of the event’s founding members. “Science should not be a privilege—it’s for everyone. By making the competition free and accessible, we opened doors for students to explore advanced biology concepts early in their academic journey.”
A Rigorous and Engaging Competition
The Olympiad challenged students with a three-round format designed to test their knowledge and problem-solving abilities at an advanced level:
- Preliminary Round: Students began with a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) to assess their foundational biology knowledge.
- Semifinals: This round introduced free-response questions (FRQs) that required critical thinking and discussion-based questions (DBQs), where students analyzed provided sources to develop research-like responses.
- Finals: Instead of a traditional test, the final round featured a science fair-style experience with hands-on activities. Highlights included a strawberry DNA extraction lab hosted by Lambert’s iGEM team and a CPR workshop conducted by the school’s HOSA club.
A standout moment in the finals was the participation of guest scientists from the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR). Students had the unique opportunity to engage with distinguished researchers, including Dr. Aaron Hata and Dr. Danny Welch. Panel discussions and Q&A sessions allowed students to ask thought-provoking questions—not just about cutting-edge cancer research, but also about the personal journeys that led these scientists to their careers.
Celebrating the Next Generation of Scientists
The competition concluded with a recognition ceremony for the top-performing students:
1st Place:
- Adhip Sundar (7th Grade, DeSana Middle School, Forsyth County)
2nd Place:
- Aarna Addicam (8th Grade, Hendricks Middle School, Forsyth County)
- Sonakshi Routray (8th Grade, Piney Grove Middle School, Forsyth County)
3rd Place:
- Niyanthrii Jagan Vishnu (7th Grade, DeSana Middle School)
- Charanjit Reddy Kotapati (8th Grade, Vickery Creek Middle School)
- Avanithram Vijay (8th Grade, Riverwatch Middle School)
These young scientists demonstrated exceptional talent and a promising future in STEM.
A Community Effort
This groundbreaking event would not have been possible without the dedication of Lambert High School’s Biology Olympiad Club and its partners, including the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), IvyAcademy Prep, HOSA, and iGEM. A special thanks goes to Dr. Cantrell for providing invaluable guidance.
The event’s organizing team—led by Saketh Ramakrishnan, Ian Du, and Sean Lee, alongside their peers Arkita Arun, Kevin Lee, Rochan Saireddy, Ryan Han, and Saisiri Akarapu—worked tirelessly to turn this vision into reality.
Looking to the Future
The overwhelming success of the Middle School Biology Olympiad is just the beginning. With a strong foundation in place, Lambert High School’s Biology Olympiad Club aims to expand the event’s reach and continue inspiring young scientists.
“Our hope is to create a pipeline for young scientists,” Saketh shared. “We want these students to grow into confident problem-solvers and leaders in STEM. The future starts here.”
By hosting this event, Lambert High School has shown that education goes beyond the classroom—it’s about creating opportunities, building communities, and inspiring dreams. Here’s to many more years of scientific discovery and collaboration!