Not everyone sees competition in tournaments or stadiums. Some students face off with notebooks, notes stacked high, late night memorizing. Dinuba High School’s Academic Decathlon team showed how book-smart rivalry thrives through quiet effort and real success. The competition took place at the Visalia County Office of Education on February 7th.

The theme for this year’s competition was the 1920s. For several months, students studied history, money matters, music, and the social culture of the time period. Students work with Academic Decathlon advisor Joe Schuster for seven months before everyone grasped even half of what was packed into classes. From factories humming to poets speaking their mind, each subject links together in a thread called the 1920s. Ten areas make up the Academic Decathlon competition across the U.S., each tested in unique ways through essays, speeches, and quizzes.

A couple of years ago, two divisions merged into one, making the competition more challenging. Even with that, our team did well. We ended with 5 medals: 6 silver and 4 bronze. 

Senior Karmen Rivera has been on the Academic Decathlon team for two years now. She started in her junior year and says it’s better than she expected.

“It’s really fun,” Rivera said. “At first, it feels like you’re just walking into another mandatory class, but it’s so much more lenient, and you get to explore and study your own topics. It’s really friendly and welcoming.”

Rivera also shared what it felt like to win one of the top honors. “I don’t think I expected it. But it’s really rewarding to figure out that it does actually pay off.”

Karmen earned Silver in Economics and Silver in Essay, and she scored the highest overall on the team. Because of that, she will also be receiving a scholarship for her achievement. 

When asked if she hopes more students will join the Academic Decathlon team, Rivera said, “I hope so. I hope that going out and showing that it’s really super fun and that you can get something out of it encourages people to not be afraid and step out of their comfort zones to try new things.”

Several students who placed in our county deserve recognition for their hard work. Congratulations to: 

• Alexis Emily Mendoza – Bronze in Math
• Daniel Aranzazu – Silver in Math
• Guadalupe Hernandez – Silver in Social Science, Bronze in Interview
• Karmen Rivera – Silver in Econ, Silver in Essay
• Yesenia Gonzalez – Silver in Math, Silver in Science, Bronze in Art, Bronze in Literature

As well as team members Aurora Lopez Aguilera, Jocelyn Flores, Jose Duran Perez, Kayla Benitez, Nestor Maeda Garcia, Richard Gallegos, Tony Melchor, and Victor Martinez, the Academic Decathlon isn’t just about winning medals. It’s about challenging yourself, learning new things, and stepping out of your comfort zone. The amount of dedication it takes to study for seven months while balancing school, sports, and other responsibilities is impressive. If you see any of these students around campus, make sure to congratulate them. They’ve definitely earned it.