A YOUNG Dabawenya studying at the Philippine Science High School-Main Campus in Quezon City received an Honorable Mention when she represented the Philippines in the recently concluded International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (IAAO) in Chorzow, Poland from August 10 to 20, 2023.
Yanna Lorraine Tenorio copped the Honorable Mention at the IAAO’s 16th edition, the highest award received by a Dabawenyo in a prestigious event. The 17-year-old was also the third Filipino to achieve such recognition.
“It was surreal, exhilarating, to carry the Philippine flag on stage, and at that time, it felt unreal,” Tenorio said in a phone interview, on August 22.
Tenorio, alongside other students worldwide, competed within four days in Theory, Observation, Data Analysis, and Planetarium Rounds covering various topics related to astronomy and astrophysics.
The Olympiad covers subjects such as celestial mechanics, observational techniques, solar system dynamics, stellar structure and evolution, galaxies and cosmology, astronomical instrumentation, and data analysis. The syllabus also emphasizes mathematical understanding in the context of these topics.
Tenorio's passion for astronomy and astrophysics was ignited when she received an invitation to join the competition.
"I found inspiration in my family, supporters, and most importantly, my teammates. I knew they had more expertise than me, so I wanted to work harder and get better to be worthy of the Philippine team,” she said.
“I worked harder for it and along the way I discovered how interesting astronomy and astrophysics were, then it was mostly self-study and I got in here,” Tenorio added.
The winner also said she is interested in pursuing a career in the astrophysics field, but also admits the country has no offerings yet.
“But it would be nice to pursue that career, but I don’t know if I can do it here [in the Philippines]... if given the opportunity to try,” Tenorio said.
She also recognized the advice of her coach, Bernard Laguno, for the win she got.
“He told us that our competition should not be other people, but ourselves. I want to tell people to strive to become the person their past self would be proud of. Whenever you feel like you're in a slump (in whatever it may be), just remember how much you wanted this in the first place, how much you worked hard for this, and how far you've come,” Tenorio shared.
The all-PSHS delegation sent to Poland was composed of Mohammad Nur Casib, who bagged a silver medal in the competition, Patrick Gabriel Abeleda, Sean Ken Galanza, and Caesar Lopez Jr. They are led by mentors Ronn Marr Perez and Bernard Laguno.
The IAAO is the highest-level competition in the Astronomy and Astrophysics fields, attended by the best high school students from around the world who have been winners of their national competitions. The event is organized by the Silesian Planetarium - Science Park in Chorzów, Poland, and is supported by the Office of the Prime Minister of Poland, the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Office of the Marshal of the Silesian Region. ICE