Tung Yu Hung, The Theoretical Winner Of The 5th IJSO

I am an ordinary student from Taiwan, a beautiful country. Optimistic and adventurous, self-confident and full of curiosity, that is me. I have been interested in science since little. I always prefer to stay in labs to do research for a whole day, not by the study but by an insatiable love for exploring surprising facts found within Mother Nature. Sometimes I play basketball with my friends and enjoy our youth, with wind breezing through my hair, the warm of sunshine and the cool water flowing through my throat.

As I began preparing for the selection of the contestant in the Taiwanese team for IJSO, I’ve focused on the courses of physics, chemistry, and biology attempting to make progress. In study, I tend to think and ponder over the problem independently. So by self-studying, I usually sit at my desk researching on theories and formulas. Despite the fact that it is really a laborious process, I believe if I am diligent in my work, I will get an achievement. I love the beauty of Mother Nature, and the surprising beauty of the structure under the surface, Gold proportion of Nautilus, the six-angled world in the snowflake. Just because of these mysterious facts, I have greater interest in researching for science, this is also why I never give up.

Inevitably, sometimes I will be agitated when studying but Mom and Dad always give me support and encouragement, sometimes they accompany me for a walk and sometimes they chat with me and listen to my worries. At school, my friends and I play basketball together to get relieved from all the anxieties and melancholies. I also like to play piano to relax; I love the music surrounding me and appreciate the composer’s expression through his or her creations.

The whole competition was great. Not only did we meet many foreign students but we also went to many museums to see traditional characters of Korea. We watched many ceremonial performances, and are impressed by the beautiful and spectacular sight of CECO. We also listened to the science speech which focus on the most important issues such as global warming or the science exploration like how to make the invisible things visible, which helps me know better about these issues than before.

I’ve never imagined that I would be the best theoretical winner until I was told to get on the stage to receive the prize. Knowing that every student was excellent in science, I was stunned and could hardly believe I was the winner. When I knew it was true, no words could describe my joy. In the moment I received the awarding prize, I gave thanks to my parents, my teachers, my classmates, and their company, giving me support and encouragement, and I finally met their expectation which is to have an outstanding performance. In the future, I will continue to pursue my interest in science, hoping to get Nobel Prize someday.