Palo Alto High School senior Forrest Chou’s journey into the world of science began in an unexpected place: the school lunch table. Little did he know, this would lead to a gold medal on the United States Physics Olympiad Exam in April, putting him in the top 40 physics students in the nation.

According to Chou, his interest in science sparked early on, back when he was a young student at Duveneck Elementary School. Instead of spending lunch periods on the playground, Chou often found himself poring over science books. Chou explained that one book in particular, Dan Green’s “The Periodic Table in Minutes,” became his favorite companion. 

“I was really curious and read a bunch of books,” Chou said. “During lunches, I would have this book on the periodic table, and I would read it all the time, to the point to which I had memorized the entire periodic table.”

Chou said this early curiosity never faded; instead, it grew, propelling him into the world of STEM competitions. From Physics Olympiad to Chemistry Olympiad to even Astronomy Olympiad, Chou saw these competitions not only as academic challenges but also as opportunities to connect with like-minded peers. 

“Olympiads are a really cool way for me to meet new people and try my best to learn,” Chou said. “If you want to build your passion for science, which is probably the most important, just pursue every opportunity — whether that’s Science Bowl, SciOly [Science Olympiad], or the Olympiads.”

Physics, Chou explained, became the lens through which he understood the world. 

“Math is abstract, but I think physics is the deepest,” Chou said. “Physics describes the world at the deepest level to the point where it can do so many things.”

Chou also said that his passion for physics extends to other aspects of his life. One of his favorite pastimes, figure skating, sparked even more curiosity in physics for him.

“I could use the physics knowledge that I gained to explain things in skating,” Chou said. “But more so, my skating actually made me interested in a bunch of physics. I studied more about rotations and the Euler equations for rotations.”

Despite his clear passion for science, Chou admits that the journey hasn’t been easy.

“I’ve suffered burnout, like everyone, but I’ve been motivated for a long time,” Chou said. “I’ve definitely tried to push myself a bit more in high school.”

Looking ahead, Chou said that he sees a future in science, likely continuing through graduate school and beyond.

“There’s an established path for people who are interested in math and physics, that is majoring in it and continuing pursuing it in graduate school,” Chou said. “Then there’s even more opportunities in college for STEM, and I think I’ll probably pursue those.”