On Feb. 10, senior Isabella Jimenez Rodriguez won the state championship for Iowa’s Brain Bee. She will represent Iowa in the U.S. National Brain Bee Championship in Florida, April 19- 21.

Jimenez became intrigued by the process of the brain and nervous system. She competed in the state Brain Bee last year as a junior and placed third. When she tried again this year she placed first.

“This year was a sort of rematch for myself against my past self and I won,” Jimenez said. “So of course this achievement is something that I am very proud of, especially as it makes my interest in the nervous system more official.”

Jimenez was the only Kennedy representative in the state championship. She hopes her success will motivate other students to compete.

“I hope that my success will encourage other students at Kennedy to test their knowledge in neuroscience even if just for fun,” Jimenez said.

Kennedy science teacher Brad Horton encourages students to compete in the Brain Bee to increase participation.

“I encourage students because I teach biology and the Brain Bee is an academic competition focused on neuroscience,” Horton said.

Competing in the Brain Bee helps students choose their major and proves their ability to pursue the study of neuroscience. It prepares students who are interested in the medical field for future schooling.

“This competition is much more intense than the state competition I just attended,” Jimenez said. “While this mostly scares me, it also excites me because it is an opportunity to further test my knowledge and meet individuals who have similar interests to my own.”

The level of competition is Jimenez’s biggest concern but she is aware of the benefits. 

“I know that through the process of preparing for nationals. I will learn a lot more about the nervous system, but most importantly I will learn a lot about myself,” Jimenez said. “So I guess I am most excited for the journey, not the end result.”