Public school student from Pará wins medal at the National Chemistry Olympiad for Girls 2025
Jéssica Mara Veloso de Aguiar, from the Jarbas Passarinho State School, won the bronze medal at this year's event, in which she participated for the first time.
The student from the Jarbas Passarinho State School, located in Belém, Jéssica Mara Veloso de Aguiar, won the bronze medal at this year's edition of the National Chemistry Olympiad for Girls, the "Quimeninas 2025".
The young girl represented Pará among the medalists from the North region, bringing pride to the state public education network. Promoted nationally, Quimeninas aims to stimulate the interest of girls in Elementary and High School in Chemistry, increasing female participation in exact and natural sciences. The initiative seeks to break gender barriers and inspire new generations of Brazilian researchers and scientists.
The olympiad is a space for representation and empowerment that values scientific reasoning, creativity, and dedication of students. The program took place online and for free, applying accessible tests, participation certificates, and medals in gold, silver, and bronze categories. The medalists also secure a spot in the Brazilian Chemistry Olympiad (OBQ) 2026.
Jéssica shares how her preparation process was and the feeling of happiness for winning the award in her first participation.
"The preparation process for this Olympiad started long before, since I participated in the ONC (National Science Olympiad) in seventh grade. And when I found out there would be an Olympiad just for girls that I could participate in starting from ninth grade, I began to prepare, reviewing some chemistry content, very basic Chemistry concepts that I had learned even in sixth grade. Since then, I have been studying, preparing, receiving support from my teachers, the school administration, who allowed me to have some study moments there, with the help of my teachers, people from chemistry, physics, mathematics, sciences, in addition to preparation at home. On the day of the test, it was a test that I would say was difficult, but I did great. And when the results came out, I saw there the regional bronze medal. This is my first year participating in this Olympiad and winning a medal is an honor because it goes far beyond an award; it is a feeling, because it is a very good feeling to see that everything I did, that I prepared for, that I studied, dedicated myself to, spent hours and hours studying, hitting my head, turned into an award," the student reported.
About Quimeninas - It is a national competition aimed at students in the 9th grade of Elementary School and the 2nd year of High School from all over Brazil. The project aims to encourage girls towards scientific careers, awakening interest in chemistry and promoting gender equality in the sciences.
The initiative is from the National Coordination of the National Chemistry Olympiad Program (PNOQ), with support from the Brazilian Chemistry Association (ABQ), the Federal Council of Chemistry and Regional Councils of Chemistry (CFQ/CRQ), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the National Women's Chemistry Olympiad - Quimeninas.
