With 15 silver essay medals awarded in total, KHS Junior Millie Cho took one home at the Academic Decathlon (Ac Dec) Nationals. Apr. 23-26, Cho went to the National competition of Ac Dec in Anaheim, Calif., after earning her spot by advancing past states. Cho was then awarded second place in the Scholastic level of the competition at nationals.
This year, about 15,000 students in the United States competed in Ac Dec, a rigorous competition that builds nine-member teams who study the same annual theme with 1,000-page resource guides. On competition day, teams compete in ten events centered around the theme. Students complete seven multiple-choice exams, a seven-minute interview, a four-minute prepared speech, a two-minute impromptu speech, and end with a “Super Quiz” relay.
Preparing for such events takes patience, determination, and high effort. Cho adds that, along with the rigorous preparation for Ac Dec, she also put forth high efforts in her AP classes, SAT preparation, and extracurriculars.
Cho wasn’t sure she’d be able to succeed in Ac Dec due to these responsibilities, but she ended up victorious. “To be honest, I planned to put this club on the back burner for this year because of all of my other responsibilities [AP exams, SAT, other extracurriculars], but it ended up being at the very forefront anyway. I worked super hard for my medals at states and did decently, but I had no idea that it was enough to qualify for nationals.”
Alongside her second-place medal, Cho has received other recognitions for her high performance: “My most important medals are the second-place essay finish at Nationals, 1st place essay finish at States, second-place in interview, and an honorable mention at math [those last three were all from states].”
Cho has been a member of the team since her sophomore year, ever since she heard that KHS Science teacher Adam Smith was the advisor. Smith mentored Millie through preparation and through her Ac Dec journey. Seeing her success has evoked a sense of pride in Smith, “I was so happy that Millie got a personal invitation to the National Competition, one of just 4, I believe. Her silver medal in the Essay event is a great accomplishment, and the English departments at both KHS and PRM were thrilled to hear the news. My own high school [Butler] didn’t have AcDec, but hearing about Millie’s experience makes me a little envious.”
Smith notes that Ac Dec offers a unique opportunity, as participants can embark on a journey in a variety of subjects that other clubs may not offer: “We have ten competitive events [essay, speech, interview, and testing in 7 subject areas, including the obvious ones but also art and economics]. Though KHS has clubs and competitions in science and world languages, no other KHS activity does what AcDec does. We are also accepting students from grades 9-12 and at all GPA levels because the team is broken into 3 levels (Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity).”
Cho’s accomplishments are well-deserved and highly honored. Going into her senior year, the school looks forward to seeing what further Ac Dec accomplishments Cho will achieve in the future.
