Introducing the 2025 International Junior Science Olympiad Australian team!
Congratulations to the students selected for the 2025 International Junior Science Olympiad Australian team.
The following exceptional students have been chosen to represent Australia:
- Sonasha Abhayagunaratne – Baulkham Hills High School, NSW
- Zitong Jamie Hao – James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW
- Felix Lee – Barker College, NSW
- Cameron Wong – Scotch College Hawthorn, VIC
- Chenhan Luke Xie – James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW
- Max Xu – James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW
Their journey started by sitting the nation-wide Junior Science Olympiad (JSO) Exams in June 2025 before being selected to attend JSO Spring School in October 2025. These six students have outperformed thousands of other students in qualifying exams and intensive training to earn their place on the team.
The team have gained in-depth knowledge and skills under the guidance of Co-Program Directors, Dr Tammy Humphrey and Suren Mendis, as well as our amazing program tutors and support staff. The students have been supported by their teachers, schools, families and friends, to reach the prestigious achievement of being selected to represent Australia.
We want to extend our congratulations to the Australian team whose dedication and hard work have been truly inspiring, and we are proud of your accomplishments.
Please note that the Australian team will not be travelling to Russia, and no virtual alternative option is available. We prioritise student and staff safety and will only travel to locations DFAT advise to be safe and, as part of the planning process, we monitor the advice issued by them for all locations.
The team was officially announced and received their ‘green and gold’ blazers in the 2025 IJSO Team Announcement Ceremony on Monday 17 November 2025.
Sonasha Abhayagunaratne
Baulkham Hills High School, NSW
“I consider myself an academic person with a particular interest in science, as I enjoy how it explains things you cannot see, revealing the inner workings of our world, be it the earth, the universe, or our own bodies,” Sonasha shared.
“Out of school, I do drama, martial arts, and Japanese, studying for JLPT language proficiency exams. I play the bass clarinet in two school bands, am in my school Oztag team, and do indoor climbing. I am also passionate about the student-run school magazine, which I lead.”
“I admire women who were pioneers in their fields, and paved the way for other generations, such as Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister. My early love for history also led me to read about and admire historical figures such as Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie.”
At Spring School, Sonasha enjoyed learning new things, meeting like-minded people with a shared interest in science and making new friends. She was also excited to experience the facilities, especially the labs.
“I also find it inspiring that science is a testament to the collective work of thousands.”
Zitong Jamie Hao
James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW
“I love all types of science but especially physics because it’s fascinating how many things there are we don’t know and it feels cool to try to discover a truth that is larger than us, like with relativity and quantum physics.”
“I also love how chemistry and biology try to solve real-world problems to help people with diseases by treating them with medicine or discovering other things to help them. I also love mathematics and the cool ways it can sometimes manifest in science, such as in chemistry and especially formulae in physics.”
“Other than these things, in my spare time I like to play the piano and the saxophone, especially improvised or modern jazz because it feels like you get to invent your own rules. I also like playing chess because of the number of possibilities and how each game is unique, as well as playing ‘Breath of The Wild’ (Zelda) because of its 3D open-world style and how free you are to explore everything without limits.”
It is Jamie’s second time being invited to attend the Junior Science Olympiad Spring School, and he was very excited to be involved again.
“…it’s fascinating how many things there are we don’t know and it feels cool to try to discover a truth that is larger than us…”
Felix Lee
Barker College, NSW
“I am Felix, a year 10 student at Barker College. I primarily focus on chemistry and physics as the two main disciplines of science.”
“I enjoy extracurricular activities that primarily involve music, as well as debating, mock trial, and some leadership activities.”
“My role model is probably one of the most famous scientists that I have always look up to, such as Einstein or Newton, who put years and years of work to search for something that might not even exist, and they achieved great things through their persistence.”
At Spring School, Felix enjoyed, “making friends and improving his scientific skills the most.”
“I enjoy science because I am able to investigate many observations and interesting things that happen in nature.”
Cameron Wong
Scotch College Hawthorn, VIC
“My love for science started at a very young age – when I was very young, I had a great passion for astronomy and chemistry which continues to the present day.”
“I read extensively about astronomy whenever I can and two years ago, I visited Kennedy Space Center as part of a school trip.”
“As for my role models, they are definitely my parents. They work tirelessly throughout the week to give me a better life and I am endlessly grateful for that.”
“Other than science, I wholeheartedly enjoy music. My love for music started very early in my life and I play 3 instruments to a high level – piano, clarinet and saxophone. I also take interest in Music Theory.”
It is Cameron’s second time at Spring School. He enjoyed meeting new like-minded peers and friends and learning from industry experts.
“My love for science started at a very young age… which continues to the present day.”
Chenhan Luke Xie
James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW
“Likely physics, because it is less memorisation and more understanding based. It’s also studies the fundamentals behind our universe, what it is and why it behaves as such, which appears really interesting to me since the universe is nothing but simple. Chemistry is a close second,” Luke explained about his favourite science discipline.
Luke is encouraged by his family to explore science, “My mom is good at physics, and my dad in general likes me to try new things. If not for them, I would not have know Junior Science Olympiad existed at all.”
Outside of science, Luke says, “I play badminton and enjoy video games.”
“When something goes unexpected, I remember that science does not miraculously break, and the laws of physics still apply. Following this, there must have been an identifiable error somewhere, which can then be located and fixed.”
Max Xu
James Ruse Agricultural High School, NSW
“In my experience, I have always favoured the STEM subjects over the humanities, which I admit is not much of a point of difference. Nevertheless, maths and science have simply come easier to me, and it was easier to excel in a school setting at these subjects,” Max told us.
“In science in particular, my favourite part is learning how the world works – whether it be being able to predict the motion of a projectile, understand that matter is made of tiny atoms, or interpret pedigree charts, each area of science is fascinating – not only in how it explains everyday phenomenons that I don’t even think about, but also the elaborate theories, the inherent imagination and sense of wonder which comes from the endless pursuit of knowledge which we call science.”
“Outside of school, I frequently play basketball and soccer and sometimes piano. I have also started going to the gym.”
At Spring School, Max looked forward to more learning opportunities in science, which he embraced.
“My favourite part is learning how the world works… each area of science is fascinating!”
Australia’s Junior Science Olympiad program is proudly delivered by Australian Science Innovations.
Learn more about the Junior Science Olympiad program here.
Thank you to Stile for providing the online teaching platform to support the Junior Science Olympiad program.
Thank you to 3M for your ongoing support of the Junior Science Olympiad program.
