By Candace Ravan

 As one of the top 20 scorers on the national chemistry exam, Jonathan Lee ’08 has been chosen as a member of the United States Chemistry Team, which competes in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad.

The USNCO local section exam was held March 14-15 and the national exam was held April 28.

“I was very ecstatic upon hearing that I made it to the team,” Lee said.

He plans to attend a study camp June 3-17 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. There he will prepare for the competition with three mentors as well as with the other 19 members of the national team, which is called Team Omega.

The students will practice with sets of preparatory problems and topics considered basic knowledge for the international competition. The work at the study camp will be equivalent to a second or third-year college level course, according to the olympiad website.

In Colorado, the four members of the traveling team will be chosen. The traveling team will compete at the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad, which will take place this July in Moscow, Russia.

Lee will also be learning extensively about organic chemistry in the next few months and will seek guidance from his chemistry teacher, Chris Dartt, “who has helped me greatly to reach this far.”