Youth Heroes

• Morgan O'Neil
• Sophie Cai
• Kiran Pendi and Jonathan Sellon
• Laura Goldhamer
• Amy, Allie, and David Steinmetz
• Travis Blinn, Allison Roberto, and Ethan Falla
• Sadie Hartell and Elizabeth Kelly
• Mtani
• Will Michael

Sophie Cai

Senator Lieberman named Sophie Cai, of Ridgefield, as a Youth Hero in recognition of her selection to be a member of the 2006 U.S. Physics Team. The U.S. Physics team will be competing at the 37 th Annual Physics Olympiad.

The Physics Olympiad is an international competition among pre-university students from more than 60 nations. The goals of the Olympiad are to encourage excellence in physics education and to reward outstanding physics students. At the International Physics Olympiad, the competitors are asked to solve challenging theoretical and experimental physics problems. Twenty-four potential U.S. team members are selected through two competitive exams. The competition for these twenty-four slots is high, as over two-hundred semi-finalists compete for a position. They finalists then attend a nine day training camp, during which the team members refine their problem solving and laboratory skills.

"Sophie is being honored as a Youth Hero because she represents the best and brightest students that Connecticut has to offer," said Lieberman. "It has been her dream for the past several years to make the U.S. Physics team, and in achieving that, she has not only accomplished a personal goal, but has become an inspiration for all of Connecticut ."

This summer, Sophie will be attending the Research Science Institute at MIT, where between 70 and 80 of the top math and science students across the world gather each year for six weeks of intensive research. She will be working with a Harvard professor in the field of eyesight and/or optics. Last year, Sophie placed first among second-year physics students in New England in the national Physics Bowl competition sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Sophie, 16, is currently a junior at Ridgefield High School. While she wants to keep her options open, she is interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology. Though this opportunity provided her with many new experiences, to Sophie, the most valuable part of being a member of the U.S. Physics team was getting the chance to meet 23 other amazing high school students who inspired her to work toward reaching new heights in the future.

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