Olivia Xu

“I’ve always been interested in science, but chemistry in particular appeals to me because it’s one of the more intuitive subjects. In chemistry, you can design experiments and then witness stuff that you actually hope to see,” Gautam Bhooma (12) said.

One moment Gautam Bhooma (12) is investigating how to separate the isomers of xylene, a widely-used industrial solvent and cleaning agent. The next moment, he is reading about Frederick the Great’s role in the War of Austrian Succession. Check back on him later and he’s busy reading more about French architecture. Finding a subject Gautam is not interested in is a challenge, and he dedicates a lot of his time to learning more about the world. Among Gautam’s interests, however, there is one that stands above the rest: chemistry. 

“I’ve always been interested in science, but chemistry in particular appeals to me because it’s one of the more intuitive subjects,” Gautam said. “In chemistry, you can design experiments and then witness stuff that you actually hope to see.” 

To Gautam, chemistry is a tool which he can use to answer some of his questions about life and the world around him. Gautam’s interest in chemistry led him to compete in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, the first competition in a path that leads students to the International Chemistry Olympiad. In his preparation, Gautam would frequent upper school chemistry teacher Dr. Casey Brown’s office hours to receive guidance, even after he was no longer Dr. Brown’s student.

“Gautam came to my room a lot,” Dr. Brown said. “His seriousness was absolutely apparent. Students are busy, and to frequent office hours outside of one of his classes demonstrates great commitment.”

Over the summer, Gautam used his interest in chemistry to conduct research in a lab setting, where he used his chemistry skills in the context of biology and investigated proteins responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. This project also helped him get more interested in computer science, a tool he believes would be useful in the future.

In addition to chemistry, Gautam also has interests in the humanities, especially with foreign languages and cultures. He took French courses in all four years of high school and remains very engaged with the language and its nuances.

“He’s always very passionate to learn about this new language,” close friend who learned French with Gautam, Joe Li (12) said. “It seems like I’m always asking him questions about culture, grammar, or vocabulary. He just knows so much about French, and that always amazes me.”

With such strong interests in both STEM and the humanities, Gautam found a great place to use this knowledge in Quiz Bowl. Because Quiz Bowl demands knowledge from many different fields, Gautam’s varied interests were a perfect match. 

“Quizbowl is a really engaging way for me to apply my knowledge,” Gautam said. “It also gives me motivation to learn more, because I can use all the random trivia facts that I know.”

As the Quizbowl club’s president, Gautam is in charge of hosting practice sessions and helping the team out during tournaments. He worked closely with others in the club and has cultivated a strong bond between team members. 

“Quizbowl in particular has been a club that has fostered a particular culture,” Gautam said. “I really like our team, and Quizbowl is a great way to meet new people.”

Gautam also uses his knowledge to help those around him. In Quizbowl, he reads practice questions for club members and corrects members’ mistakes. Whenever his friends need help, Gautam is always there to teach them and explain concepts they struggle to understand.

“I don’t know how many times we’ve been on call super late at night and he’s explaining to me how different physics concepts work or what went down in my AP United States History class,” close friend Sriram Bhimaraju (12) said. “He genuinely wants the best for other people, which is really admirable.”