Student Achievement

Mountaineers take First Place in Buzz Bowl and MATHCOUNTS!

February 8, 2023 by msnyder

This past weekend our students represented our school at two competitions, Buzz Bowl and MATHCOUNTS.

The Buzz Bowl is a local science competition and attracted 50 teams this year. Our team, made up of Grade 6 students including Alan Z., Richard Z., and Tianle Z., won eight games straight and took home first place in the Grade 5 – 6 division!

The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series is a national program where students have the opportunity to compete in math contests with peers in Grades 6 – 8. Students can compete on a team as well as individually.

Twelve of our mathletes from Grades 6 and 7 participated in the MATHCOUNTS Lake Washington Chapter Competition. Our team, made up of Grade 7 students Katherine L., Lixing S., Ryan C., and Kevin W., won first place in the Chapter Competition and will be advancing to the State Competition!

Additionally, four top individual students, Shuyin L., Sophia T., Timothy W., and Alexander Yu., from our school will be advancing to the State Competition!

Congratulations to our coaches, students, and families! We are proud of our Mountaineers and their achievements at both the Buzz Bowl and MATHCOUNTS. We wish them the best of luck at the State Competition.

Shout out to all of the Mountaineer mathletes that participated in the MATHCOUNTS competition and represented our school: Ryan C., Katherine L., Lixing S., Kevin W., Haoran W., Cindy L., Timothy W., Sara L., Sophia T., Kuan D., Shuyin L., and Alexander Y.

BASIS Independent Bellevue, a private school, opened with Grades 2 – 7 to start and will add a grade level each school year as we expand to a full middle and high school (Grades 5 – 12).

Science Bowl Team Wins Championship at Regional Competition

January 31, 2023 by msnyder

The BASIS Independent Bellevue Science Bowl Club just won the regional championship at the 2023 Middle School Regional Science Bowl!

Congratulations to all of our Mountaineer participants and winning students. Science Bowl is a competition that tests students’ knowledge and skills in various scientific subjects. In the true representation of our school values, P.A.C.E., our students worked hard and came out on top!

The Science Bowl was hosted at the University of Portland last weekend. Middle school students from across the Pacific Northwest including Oregon and Washington State participated.Both BASIS Independent Bellevue Science Bowl Team 1 and 2 performed outstandingly. Both teams entered the final double elimination round, which included the top 16 out of 38 teams.

Our regional champions will next travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Science Bowl in April.

Science Bowl Club participants:

Gordon B. (Grade 7)

Katherine L. (Grade 7)

Sara L. (Grade 7)

Lixing S. (Grade 7)

Kevin W. (Grade 7)

Timothy W. (Grade 7)

David X. (Grade 7)

Alan Z. (Grade 6)

Richard Z. (Grade 6)

Tianle Z. (Grade 6)

Regional Championship Team:

Gordon B. (Grade 7)

Katherine L. (Grade 7)

Kevin W. (Grade 7)

Timothy W. (Grade 7)

David X. (Grade 7)

Congratulations to our coaches, students, and families! Winning a regional competition is an oustanding achievement, and shows the hard work and dedication put in by the team members and coaches.

“Congratulations to our very first Science Bowl competition winners at BASIS Independent Bellevue,” says Ms. Krehe, BASIS Independent Bellevue’s auxiliary program manager, “I am proud of all the hard work our students and coaches have put into this extracurricular activity and look forward to all the great things students will accomplish at this school!”

We look forward to our Mountaineers representing BASIS Independent Bellevue at the national competition this spring!

BASIS Independent Bellevue, a private school, opened with Grades 2 – 7 to start and will add a grade level each school year as we expand to a full middle and high school (Grades 5 – 12).

Student Spotlight: Senior Wins Davidson Fellowship for Research on CRISPR Viral Therapies

January 25, 2023 by msnyder

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley student Indeever M., Class of 2023, has become the first person in the world to sequence the genome of the freshwater angelfish!

Indeever sequenced the genome of his pet angelfish Calvin after it died in March this past year. “Although my fish was dead, I wanted to preserve it forever,” he says. “So I decided to sequence the genome of the angelfish with the hopes that I could contribute that information to the scientific community, and so that the angelfish could one day be used as a model organism for biological research!”

You can view his sequence data on this public database and his research paper describing his work was published here.

Indeever has also been awarded a 2022 Davidson Fellowship for his research on CRISPR viral therapies. Recognized by Forbes as “one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships,” the Fellows scholarship is one of “The 10 Biggest Scholarships in the World” by TheBestColleges.org and one of “7 Prestigious Undergrad Scholarships” in U.S. News & World Report.

You can view his research on CRISPR viral therapies here.

Congratulations Indeever!

We sat down with Indeever to learn more about his research and experience with these projects.

Congratulations on these amazing accomplishments! What made you start this CRISPR project?

With the ongoing pandemic, I wanted to conduct novel research to find a way to better protect immunocompromised people from viral infections. I was also incredibly excited to develop mastery over various wet bench techniques. That’s how this project took off in mid-2021.

Can you give a general description of your project?

With the COVID-19 pandemic having taken the world by storm, one reliable way to protect ourselves from a viral infection is by getting vaccinated. However, vaccines have limited efficacy in immunocompromised people as their bodies cannot mount a strong response to the vaccination and develop antibodies. A complement to vaccinations is necessary to thoroughly protect the immunocompromised from viral infections, and I turned to bacteria for a solution.

In my current work, I hypothesized that the bacterial CRISPR-Ca9 system, which protects bacteria from viral infections, could be repurposed to function as an intracellular defense mechanism for human cells. After genetically engineering human cells to express Cas9, I introduced viral DNA into the cells and found that the Cas9 enzyme significantly reduced the expression of the viral DNA, effectively protecting the cell from infection.

Where were you able to complete this project?

I conducted my self-directed research at BioCurious, a local community biology lab in Santa Clara.

Sounds amazing! What gave you the confidence to do all that on your own?

I joined BISV in Grade 6, and my favorite subject has always been biology. Thanks to BISV’s rigorous curriculum, I greatly enjoyed all the STEM exposure I had in biology, chemistry, and physics.

In Grade 11, I made sure to take the Biotechnology elective with Dr. Allendoefer. She helped me a lot outside of class. Her class and her willingness to always discuss my ideas are what really ignited my interest in CRISPR technology.

How did you get involved with the Davidson Fellowship?

I heard about the fellowship from a family friend. The Davidson Institute looks for significant projects that are meaningful and have the potential to make a positive contribution to society. I submitted a research paper that was reviewed by a panel of experts. By the way, they accept non-stem projects as well. My submission was 34 pages long! They judged the research work on the following criteria – Scientific rigor, societal impact, and also the applicant’s understanding of the specific domain.

What advice would you give to future students who are interested in pursuing a project outside of school?

Keep learning about the world you live in, identify challenges that afflict people, and try to develop solutions through your research. Make sure to talk to the talented teachers at BISV and learn from their wisdom and experiences. Find what you’re interested in and pursue it. Don’t be afraid of what other people think or even what the results will be.

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings.

Student Spotlight: Junior Selected for World Science Scholars Program

January 9, 2023 by msnyder

The World Science Scholars (WSS) program, an initiative of the World Science Festival, has announced its newest and largest class, with 55 young Scholars from 13 countries. These exceptionally talented mathematical minds will have an unparalleled opportunity to apply their abilities to unexplored disciplines.

Led by world-renowned experts, Scholars examine the ways that advanced mathematics skills can be applied to solve complex challenges in a wide range of multidisciplinary fields.

One of our very own BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Bobcats, Maggie Peng, Class of 2024, has been selected as a World Science Scholar.

Congratulations Maggie!

Maggie will begin a year-long journey of learning and discovery with WSS faculty, including Nobel and Breakthrough Prize winners, best-selling authors, and experts working at the cutting edge of their fields.

They will take advanced, self-paced courses with interactive demonstrations, exercises, discussions, and video lectures. They will collaborate on projects, attend virtual lab tours, and have the unique opportunity to interact directly with these unmatched experts and teaching fellows through riveting lectures and live virtual discussions. Maggie will also join a vibrant and supportive online community that encourages discussion, debate, and collaboration among the students, enabling them to forge lifelong connections with their peers.

We sat down with Maggie to ask her a few questions about her experience.

Congratulations on this amazing achievement! What made you want to apply?

I found WSS after watching a few of Dr. Brian Greene’s publicly available lectures and getting interested in his research. World Science Scholars not only covered what he teaches but also incorporates lectures from other university professors. I applied because I wanted to broaden my horizons and learn about more advanced topics that are not covered at the high school level.

What was the application process like for you?

The process of applying was relatively simple: there are three forms to fill out; one for you, one for a parent, and one for a teacher. It focuses a lot on your interests and achievements in mathematics. I would encourage any of my peers who are interested in applying to go for it!

What are you most excited about?

When I first heard about WSS, I was mainly interested in the range of STEM subjects they covered. Right now I’m just excited to keep taking more courses and learning! There are many STEM subfields out there that I’ve yet to become acquainted with and I’m excited about the exposure this program will give me.

What would you tell other students interested in applying?

I would tell them that there is a good amount of time required to keep up with the coursework. It’s not overbearing in my schedule, but I do spend a lot of time studying. If you are a dedicated student with strong organizational skills it’s the perfect program for you.

Congratulations again Maggie, we are so proud of you!

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings.