Hillary Liu, Secretary and Historian of TJHSST Science Olympiad
Editor’s Note: The following letter from a former Pitsco Systems Essay Contest winner was received in late 2011 by Pitsco Education President Lisa Paterni.
Dear Mrs. Lisa Paterni,
My name will probably mean very little to you,
but the Pitsco name has meant a lot to me ever since
I was introduced to your company in seventh grade.
Now as a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for
Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, I am
part of my school’s Science Olympiad team and hope
to continue a career in science.
In 2007, I was enrolled in my middle school’s
“Inventions and Innovations” class, which utilized
many Pitsco Modules such as Flight Technology,
CADD, and Robotics. My teacher, Mr. Garrett
Evans, recognized my enthusiasm for the class and
encouraged me to enter the Pitsco Systems Essay
Contest. That year, I won the contest and received a
$250 robot kit. Mr. Evans said of the Pitsco Modules:
“This is the type of information a student could take
to high school and beyond. It gets the student off and
running. It exposes them to ideas and pushes them to
think about stuff they normally would not.”
And it’s true. After my introduction to engineering,
I was inspired to join the Science Olympiad team
at my high school, where I participated in building
events such as Bottle Rocket and Mousetrap Vehicle.
Science Olympiad has truly been one of the best
activities I have participated in during my high
school career. Not only is it a premier national science
competition with events that span topics of genetics,
Earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology,
and mechanical engineering, Science Olympiad
encourages a wide variety of students to get involved.
As a rather shy and introverted person myself,
Science Olympiad has truly helped me forge alliances
and meet new people; no matter who I meet, we all
have a mutual love for the sciences.
As TJHSST’s Science Olympiad enters its third
year, I am proud of the team’s progress. Science
Olympiad had humble beginnings. The club started
out as not much more than an advertisement flyer
and a team of bright, diligent students. Through
hard work and perseverance, we were able to place
third at the state competition our first year and have
since attracted the attention of close to 200 students.
This year, our goal is to be able to compete at the
National Tournament.
Since its inception, Pitsco has been a company
dedicated to helping students and teachers succeed.
I know I am not the only student inspired to choose
math and science fields in college and
beyond. Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Hillary Liu
Secretary and Historian of TJHSST Science Olympiad