Alex Kidangathazhe is a member of the Stillwater High School Academic Team. While it may not be one of the traditional sports, being a successful academic team still requires a lot of hard work, practice, and continually learning.
“I think one of the most important traits in the academic team is a willingness to learn, especially after you get a question wrong due to a technicality,” Alex said. “Learning the format and what strategies other teams use, as well as how they answer, is a key part of playing in the Academic Team. However, I would say the most important thing for success is a willingness to go to tournaments, as that is the most effective way of growing.”
Kidangathazhe, a junior, joined the academic team when he moved to Stillwater from Brookings High School in South Dakota right before his junior year. At Brookings, he had been a part of the academic team since the sixth grade.
Throughout his life, Alex has had people that have been influential in his life and helped him become who he is today.
“One of my biggest role models is my grandmother,” he said. “She exemplifies hard work, humility, and perseverance.”
Joining the academic team at Brookings was something that caught Alex’s attention from the moment he first heard about it.
“I originally joined the Brookings Quiz Bowl team because the idea of testing all the knowledge I had obtained by reading books and attending classes in a gamified format was very appealing,” he said. “Once I joined, I found it extremely fun and decided to continue after my move to Stillwater.”
Now as a student at Stillwater, Kidangathazhe is proud to be able to represent the Pioneers when he competes against other schools.
“I am both proud and grateful to be able to represent both my school and community,” Alex said. “For me, being a representative means making sure you demonstrate the values of being a Pioneer at all levels of competition and always putting in your best effort.”
