A Suffolk County teen just brought home two medals from a national and international scientific competition. 

Eric Liu is an incoming junior at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket.

This summer, he brought home a gold medal from the national level and a silver medal at the international level.

"Winning a gold medal at the national finals was really it was a surprise for me, because I didn't think I could reach that far, but I was really happy," says Liu.

At the international level, he traveled to the Philippines for the 2025 International Biology Olympiad.

He was one of four students representing the U.S.

"I feel pretty good," says Liu. "I think I did pretty good for how much I worked. I also think this like gives me motivation."

Liu says months of preparation led him to this achievement, and he says he wasn't able to do it without his parents and mentors at school.

"The hardware is fantastic to see the medals are great, but really, they're just representative of the knowledge that he's gained," says Ward Melville High School Principal John Holownia.

"It's absolutely incredible the capabilities that Eric has," says Marnie Kula, chairperson of the Science Department at Ward Melville High School.

Liu says it's all an experience he will never forget.

"This competition overall has been a great experience. I mean, I learned a lot, obviously, but I also made a bunch of friends and, like, got into a community which was really supportive," says Liu.