Eagle Rock High Students in Washington D.C. for National Science Bowl

Five Eagle Rock High School students are currently in Washington D.C. to compete in the 23rd annual U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl, a “Jeopardy” type quiz show consisting of 69 teams from more than 40 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The students, who are being tested on a wide range of science topics in a quiz show format, are all from the 8^th grade. Four of them are in the main team, with a fifth student as a substitute. They left for the U.S. capital on Tuesday, according to ERHS Principal Salvador Velasco.

Eagle Rock High School qualified for the Science Bowl because they recently won the regional Cal State L.A. Middle School Science Bowl competition, Velasco explained to Eagle Rock Patch on the school campus Thursday.

The five students on the ERHS team are Qing Kai Huang, Neilsen Mallari, Gabriel Owens-Flores, Parson Galicia, and Bennett Alexander Grappone.

They are accompanied by math teacher Roberto Nuño and Assistant Vice Principal Koh Ikeda.

The ERHS team is scheduled to return to Los Angeles Monday and will be resuming school on Tuesday, Velasco said.

“Wouldn’t it be incredible if they take the National?” Velasco wondered aloud.

Asked if he was being hopeful or wishful, Velasco quipped: “I’m always hopeful—if kids are prepared, they always have a good chance to win.”