Harriton Student Earns Top Honors at International Earth Science Olympiad

Harriton High School junior Charlotte Laetsch recently returned from Ji’ning, China, where she represented the United States at the 18th Annual International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), held August 7–17, 2025. Competing against students from 34 countries, Charlotte distinguished herself with an extraordinary performance across multiple events!

Charlotte earned two gold medals—one for the combined theoretical and practical exams, and another in the International Team Field Investigation. She also captured first place in the Young Reporter competition, where students research and write about geological challenges in their home regions. In addition, Charlotte received the Mary Anning Award, presented to the female student with the highest test score in the entire international competition.

To reach this level, Charlotte advanced through the rigorous United States Earth Science Olympiad (USESO) selection process. Out of thousands of students nationwide, just four are chosen to represent Team USA after excelling on national exams and completing intensive fieldwork and training in Oklahoma.

Back at Harriton, Charlotte serves as a co-captain of the Science Olympiad team, where she helped lead the Rams to a second-place finish at last year’s national tournament, earning national champion honors in Coding, a silver medal in Geographical Mapping and fourth place in Dynamic Planet.

Charlotte’s remarkable achievements highlight both her scientific talent and her leadership in Harriton’s vibrant STEM community!