Schulz fifth in Beta competition
By REBECCA LEFTWICH
rebecca@newnan.com
Thomas Schulz doesn’t yet know what career he will pursue, but he’s sure of one thing: Whatever it is, it will involve science.
A rising ninth-grader at Newnan High School, Schulz recently capped an ultra-successful academic career at Madras Middle School by placing fifth at the National Junior Beta Club competition – in the science division, of course.
Schulz finished first at the state event in Macon last November, earning the highest score of all Georgia competitors on a multiple-choice general science exam. More than 25 competitors at the national event were given 90 minutes to complete a similar exam.
“We had an hour and half, but I usually take tests fast, so I finished in 10 or 15 minutes,” Schulz said. “I knew some of the stuff, but a lot of it was, ‘How would you know that?’”
Because he was the only Madras student competing at nationals, Schulz made two overnight trips – one by car and another by plane – to North Carolina.
“I kind of wish the others had gone,” said Schulz. “There wasn’t much for me to do.”
Schulz, whose hobbies are hunting, fishing and “anything to do with computers,” according to his dad, Bob, earned the highest GPA in Madras’ eighth grade class last year and was awarded the Principal’s Award as a result.
In addition, he was named winner of the Timothy Cole Award for achievements in academics and citizenship.
Bob Schulz said his son “just really loves science and is a sponge for knowledge,” and is appreciative of the outstanding instruction he’s had throughout his school career.
“One of the things he told me was that another kid who was competing said he was studying a lot,” he said. “Thomas said he hadn’t really studied, he just had great teachers who taught him well.”
Schulz is the son of Bob and Vicky Schulz. His brother Matthew is a rising seventh-grader at Madras and his sister Christine is a rising third-grader at Brooks Elementary School, so Schulz will be blazing the trail for his siblings at Newnan High this fall.
“He’s really looking forward to the experience of high school,” Bob Schulz said.
