Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School’s academic decathlon team will be heading to nationals next month after once again claiming victory at the state championship.
This year marked the ninth state win for the school, which has captured the title more times than any other team in Georgia.
Sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the 2019 PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon State Competition tested more than 185 students from 21 high schools on their knowledge in economics, mathematics, art, literature and more.
LFO coach Lisa Beck said the winning streak speaks volumes about the potential hidden in each and every student at the high school despite the high rate of poverty, illustrated by the 56 percent of LFO’s student population who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program.
“What it says to me is that our students can compete nationally,” Beck said. “They just need those opportunities. They need people to believe in them. And if people believe in them, this is what they go out and do.”
Beck said she and her two fellow coaches, Jessica Chandler and Ian Beck, have sought to act as a cheerleaders for the nine students on the academically diverse team. The competition requires three students on each team to have a GPA of 3.75 to 4.0, three to have a GPA of 3.0 to 3.749, and three to have a GPA 0.0 to 2.999.
Ultimately, Beck said the students have consistently clawed their way to victory not simply because of book smarts, but because of their determination and grit.
“We may not have the advantages that the other schools have … but we can still beat them,” she said. “It’s a matter of how much you work, not a matter of how much privilege you have coming in.”
Each year, the coaches at LFO work to adapt study techniques to each student’s learning style, allowing them to absorb and comprehend information as opposed to just memorizing facts and figures, said Beck, who also teaches science at the school. As a result, many of the students have fallen in love with the learning process itself, which has led to a greater appreciation for the subject material.
“Academic decathlon has allowed me to explore subjects that I wouldn’t have previously looked at but I have begun to love,” said LFO sophomore Shaili Patel. “I have learned that it is OK to fail, but sometimes failure is not an option.”
Over the years, Beck said she has seen a number of former students return to tell coaches that they might not have made it through college had the decathlon not taught them how to study.
The program has also built up confidence sure to last a lifetime.
“Before decathlon, I didn’t like to depend on other people because I feared that I would be the weakest link that no one could depend on,” said LFO junior Eden Muina. “When I competed, I realized that I am a lot more capable than I initially imagined.”
The team will represent Georgia at the United States Academic Decathlon national competition in Bloomington, Minnesota, April 25-27.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.