This year only nine students signed up for the Academic Decathlon (AcaDec) team. The class, which offers college credits requires students to study information over 10 different subjects, then compete against other students from the surrounding schools in a annual competition.

This year, the AcaDec focused on the French Revolution and Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities. When the AcaDec coordinator Michael Fenton first noticed sophomore Morgan Childs’ work ethic during her freshman year, he says he saw the advantage of adding her to the team.

“She’s respectful, hard-working, bright and friendly,” Fenton said. “As a sophomore, she is already very promising, along with this, she has a chance to do AcaDec for another two years and to do it well.”

While studying and reading copious amounts of information in preparation for the AcaDec competition, Feb. 6, Childs also participates in multiple clubs on campus, including the cheer team and CSF. She is also involved in multiple honor classes and plays the piano in her free time. Yet, she still found the time to put in AcaDec as another independent class.

“My mom, Mrs. [Molly] Sargent and Mr. Fenton convinced me to join,” Childs said. “But then I decided that I might as well join and try it out, but the biggest problem was all the homework.”

Childs says a major problem with the activity was the way it crowded her schedule.

“At first, I was a little nervous for the competition and then I also realized how much work there was,” Childs said. “It was difficult with all the homework and studying because there was just so much to go over, learn and prepare, yet at the same time I had all my other stuff going on.”

Though a bit overwhelmed at first, with Fenton’s help Childs soon understood the expectations of AcaDec.

“I like having Mr. Fenton because he helped me catch up and learn what to do,” Childs said. “Now, I like the lectures and competitions, and hanging out with the other participants.”

A close friend, Rachel Willhelm, ’11, says Childs’ friendly attitude often makes her well-liked and helps her interact with their competitors.

“I think that since she is taking this independently, she has to have a lot of commitment to AcaDec, and we can tell because she has definitely been working hard,” Willhelm said. “She’s awesome and she has a very friendly attitude.”

Though Fenton did not spend time with Childs in class, he says her dedication to the “sport” is evident.

“She is diligent with a capital D,” Fenton said. “Even though she’s taking it independently, she always gets her stuff done, including all the reading and she prepares everything. Just ask once and it is as good as done.”

Although she is involved in varying capacities on campus, Childs says she wants to attend Stanford University and become a pediatric oncologist.

“I love working with kids, and it makes me sad to hear kids going through cancer,” Childs said. “I really want to help them and their families get through terrible diseases and basically make an impact on their lives.”

Fenton and Willhelm agree that the AcaDec team would be incomplete without Childs.

“If someone picked something nice to say about someone, it would fit her,” Fenton said. “She’s going to get better every year.”

At the Feb. 6 competition, Childs received a bronze medal for her interview. Though undecided about whether or not to continue taking AcaDec as one of her electives, Childs says her experience has made an impression.

“I don’t know if I’ll take it again,” Childs said. “But I’ll always remember the lectures and the competitions the most because they were interesting. It was fun to hang out with the other participants.”

For more student features, read Senior vocalist examines director aspiration or Flyer channels cheer passion.

For more information, check out Fenton’s interview on episode 2 of FC Underground or read the Feb. 4 article, AcaDec to conclude competition season or the Feb. 11 article, AcaDec places 5th, earns 18 medals.