At 12 Years Old, Beatriz Luz Won an International Scientific Competition in Houston, Celebrated Support from Teachers, and Reinforced Her Dream of Pursuing a Career in Natural Sciences While Still a Teenager
At 12 years old, the Brasília native Beatriz Luz already demonstrates an early and consistent relationship with science. An 8th-grade student, she stands out for her ongoing interest in scientific content and the curiosity that has followed her since a young age.
Between January 21 and 26, Beatriz participated in the 2026 Copernicus Natural Science Olympiad and won the gold medal with honors, receiving the title of Absolute Winner.
International Experience and Scientific Exchange
After qualifying in the national phase, Beatriz traveled with her parents to Houston, United States, where the in-person stage of the competition took place.
-
Motorola launched the Signature with a gold seal from DxOMark, tying with the iPhone 17 Pro in camera performance, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 that surpassed 3 million in benchmarks, and a zoom that impresses even at night.
-
Satellites reveal beneath the Sahara a giant river buried for thousands of kilometers: study shows that the largest hot desert on the planet was once traversed by a river system comparable to the largest on Earth.
-
Scientists have captured something never seen in space: newly born stars are creating gigantic rings of light a thousand times larger than the distance between the Earth and the Sun, and this changes everything we knew about stellar birth.
-
Geologists find traces of a continent that disappeared 155 million years ago after separating from Australia and reveal that it did not sink, but broke into fragments scattered across Southeast Asia.
The final round was held at Rice University, bringing together students from different countries, such as China, Turkey, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan.
For doctor Fabíola Tavares, Beatriz’s mother, the contact with young people from other cultures was a central aspect of the experience.
According to her, her daughter’s female role models in science include Jane Goodall, Niéde Guidon, and Marie Curie, and realizing that other girls of the same age share similar interests was of great formative value.

Unexpected Achievement of the Teenager Among 229 Students
The Olympiad featured 229 students from 16 different countries. Beatriz reported that winning the gold medal was a surprise.
She stated that she expected to achieve at most a silver or bronze medal and did not imagine winning the gold at that moment, although she had dreamt of that possibility someday.
Academic Interests and School Support
In the school environment, Beatriz is interested in biology, physics, chemistry, and history. Outside of school, she enjoys playing with her cat Anya, and her affection for animals influences her professional dream, aimed at fields such as biology or veterinary medicine.
Fabíola highlighted that her daughter is well-regarded by teachers and that the medal crowned years of dedication. Beatriz, in turn, thanked the support she received, mentioning Raul Carneiro, Gabriel Sekia, Aryanne Audrey, Philip Matheus, Helena Galvão, and Mr. Tu, support that, according to her, was essential for her seemingly unexpected achievement.
With information from Correio Brasiliense.

Se o STF vinculasse a melhoria da escola pública à adoção das cotas seria isso uma atitude responsável com repercussão no maior e melhor aproveitamento dos alunos da rede pública mas me parece que a atitude é para parecer justo e não para o enfrentamento das injustiças sociais.
E muito importante uma jovem conquistar essa olimpíada, certamente vai influenciar outros jovens.
Que venham mais reportagens iguais…
Parabéns a Beatriz e a tantos outros alunos esforçados..
Marcelo, triste por você!
Mas, a aceitação ajuda!