Next week a dynamic duo from Kelmscott High will be jet setting to the United States to compete in the World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions.
Yizhen Pu (Year 10), and Eknoor Kaur (Year 9) have each sailed through two previous rounds of intense competition to get their golden ticket to the main event at Yale University.
Once there, they will face off against more than 300 other teams from 60 countries around the world.
Students compete individually and as members of a three-person team, and work through a variety of academic challenges, including a debate, a creative writing challenge, a multiple choice examination (The Scholar’s Challenge), and a team quiz (The Scholar’s Bowl).
Yizhen and Eknoor will be teaming up with a Year 7 student from Kinross College for this trip.
For Yizhen, the opportunity to participate in the Tournament of Champions (ToC) is a dream come true. This is her third time competing in the World Scholar’s Cup, but the first time at the ToC, despite qualifying for it last year.
“World Scholar’s Cup is really, really important to me. I’m so glad I finally get to go this year because it’s my last chance – next year I’ll be in Year 11 and too busy with school,” she said.
For many of the students, competing at this level is a significant commitment.
“As soon as the curriculum came out in January, I started studying for around 30 minutes a day,” Yizhen said.
“I just love it – it’s one of my biggest hobbies.
“I remember learning about the World Scholar’s Cup on the front page of the newspaper, when (Kelmscott High alumnus) Emma Johnson achieved the highest individual score in the junior division and was awarded Champion Scholar in 2019. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of it too.”
Eknoor is experiencing the highs of the World Scholar’s Cup for the first time. Right now, her excitement and nerves are locked in a hard-fought contest with each other. But she has big hopes for her team.
“I really want to at least place – if we could reach fourth or fifth overall, I’d be happy,” she said.
If the pair can perform like they did in the Global Round in Auckland in September, they’re in with a chance of pulling it off.
In New Zealand, Yizhen, Eknoor and teammate Willow O’Beirne came third in collaborative writing, third in the team Scholar’s Challenge, and fourth overall for the entire senior round.
Yizhen placed third (out of 250 students) in the individual rankings of the Scholar’s Challenge, won six gold ‘challenge medals’ across each of the six knowledge disciplines, and was awarded the trophy for the writing challenge.
In fact, a number of Kelmscott students did remarkably well this year, with all 30 who attended the regional round qualifying to head to New Zealand, and the 14 who went to Auckland bringing home a swag of medals.
“We were overwhelmed by the success of our kids,” coach and Deputy Principal Jacquie Sandhu said.
But Yizhen is careful to point out this trip to the US is as much a celebration of friendship as it is a quest for knowledge and trophies.
“I’ve met so many friends through this – it’s a big community of people who are just as enthusiastic as I am,” Yizhen said. “We have so much fun together.”
And Ms Sandhu said she was keen to use this overseas adventure as an enrichment opportunity, by “building in some other levels of learning” for the girls.
Before and after the competition, the girls will get a chance to explore the New Haven-Milford region and have a short trip to Boston; their itinerary includes visits to Harvard and Yale Universities, various historical and scientific museums, and art galleries, and entry to the Harry Potter Exhibition.
“We’re both so excited – we can’t wait,” Yizhen said.
