Goshen High wins Odyssey of Mind world championships
Junior Carly Seligman takes home “Omer award” for conquering stage fright over her seven years competing in OM
| 27 May 2025 | 01:45
Goshen High School receives gold medals at the closing ceremony at Michigan State University May 24. (
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In addition to winning the championships with her team, Goshen High School’s Carly Seligman was one of three amongst thousands of world championship contestants to win an “Omer” Award. (
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The winning team in costume, from left: Cole Florio, 12th grade; Nathan Hulse, 11th grade; Aiden Thornell, 12th grade; Carly Seligman, 11th grade; Yujin Li, 11th grade; Madison Hunter, 10th grade. Sion Siljkovic was a member but could not make it to Worlds. (
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Goshen students react to the announcement of C.J. Hooker Middle School’s fourth place win at the Odyssey of the Mind closing ceremonies in Michigan on May 24. (
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Nathan Hulse helps Aiden Thornell prepare for their skit. The students do all the work, including props and make-up. (
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Goshen High School took first place at the Odyssey of the Minds World Championship in Michigan, competing against teams from India, Poland, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore from May 21 to May 24.
It’s the team’s fourth time winning the world championships. Coached by Heidi Seligman, the team of two seniors, three juniors and two underclassmen competed in the Cooking with Books problem, in which teams create a performance inspired by classic literature that includes a dinner party with a character from the book.
Team member Carly Seligman was one of three world championship contestants to win the Omer’s Award for exemplary behavior. An “OM-er” for seven years, Seligman overcame stage-fright little by little each year. She began by using her flute to “speak,” then taking a minor speaking role. This year, she performed the lead, Alice, from Alice Through the Looking Glass. Carly plans to become a coach for younger kids during her senior year.
Goshen’s C.J. Hooker Middle School, coached by Kate Schmidt, took fourth at the world championships in the Cooking with Books problem, their first time competing at Worlds.
Also attending Worlds were six teams from the Warwick Valley School District; Middletown High School; Pine Bush High School; and seven teams from Delaware Valley School District in Pennsylvania. Warwick and Delaware Valley also won a world championship title.
Odyssey of the Mind is an intellectual contest of creativity, resourcefulness, mental acuity and expression. The focus of the competition is on creative problem solving using a team approach. It is based on the concept that “mind games” can be played with as much enthusiasm and competitive spirit as athletic games.