Ames High School
Ames High School
Aileen Sullivan, Coach
Coach Aileen Sullivan has taught high school chemistry for twenty years and relishes classes spent with students exploding hydrogen gas and freezing things with liquid nitrogen. She is the head of the science department and has served as a model and mentor teacher, chief negotiator for the teacher's union and has been an assistant coach for the girls track team at her school. Coach Sullivan also was named the 2018 Iowa Teacher of the Year and as such has a teacher friend from each of the fifty states. Coach Sullivan earned a B.A. degree in chemistry and chemistry teaching from the University of Northern Iowa and a M.S. degree in curriculum and instruction from Iowa State University. She and her husband, a social studies teacher, have two school-aged sons.
Rishabh Swamy
Rishabh Swamy is a twelfth-grader at Ames High School, but he still feels like a sophomore (thanks, COVID). This is his seventh year participating in Science Bowl, and his sixth competing at the National Science Bowl. Rishabh likes to swim, run, and play soccer, but unfortunately, he cannot do all three at the same time. His other hobbies include eating mac and cheese, watching Patriots football, and procrastinating, and he can do all three of those things at the same time. He also enjoys lifting, bench pressing Campbell Earth Science in one hand and Vanders Organic Chemistry in the other. Also, do not let Rishabh forget that he needs to give Ne a coupon for a back massage as Ne’s back hurts from carrying the team. Rishabh would like to end this biography with a big shout out to the Science Bowl discord server for providing lots of fun times over the past few difficult years.
Abhi Amuluru
Abhi Amuluru is a sophomore at Ames High School. Abhi used to have a cinnamon stick physique but has since started hitting the gym and the gains do not stop. Abhi began pursuing biology more seriously over COVID when he skipped all of his online classes to read Campbell instead, a decision he does not regret. After being introduced to pop smoke, shoutout to Jacob Xing, da goat, Abhi memorizes all biology stock using pop smoke references - for instance “if you need the glizzy you can take mine”. Furthermore, Abhi is renowned for having ice in his veins as he has acquired the ability to clutch up in any situation Throughout his time in Science Bowl, Abhi has become an experienced guesser and does not need to hear the questions anymore, a skill he will be demonstrating at Nationals this year. Abhi also hopes to not get dress-coded this year by wearing every piece of National Science Bowl merchandise from the previous years while winning Nationals lightwork.
Jacob Stevens
Jacob Stevens is a senior at Ames High School. This is his seventh year competing in science bowl and he has qualified for the National Science Bowl four times prior, twice in middle school, twice in high school. Jacob enjoys playing and watching soccer. He supports the English team Everton Football Club, who never fail to disappoint him year after year. Jacob also competes in debate and is in the Ames High School band as a percussionist. In his free time, Jacob enjoys mostly sleeping and eating, and occasionally hanging out with his friends if he feels like it. Jacob is going to attend the University of Arizona to major in geosciences, go Cats! He has very much enjoyed his experience in Science Bowl and believes it has been a huge part of his love for science.
Ne Dassanayake
Ne Dassanayake is a senior at Ames High School. He plans on continuing his studies in STEM at the Montana Institute of Technology next year. Around the time of virtual National Science Bowl finals two years ago, he developed an extreme passion for organic chemistry after reading Ahrens Modern Physics. His favorite reaction is the [3+2] Dragon Cycloaddition. Ne lives a life in accordance with his role model, Moe Mozambique, best known for quotes such as “It’s like playing with ur hand,” and “I love Judy Hopps.”
David Dong
David Dong is an eleventh- grader at Ames High School. This is his first time participating in Science Bowl. He has recently been spending a lot of time with a copy of Dummit and Foote and plans on majoring in math in college. He has been interested in math since participating in MATHCOUNTS in middle school, continuing his passion with the American Mathematics Competition in high school. His secondary interest is debating on Discord. Whenever he is not doing these two things, David enjoys playing piano, playing with his sister, and playing Yasuo.
