'Brazil's best opportunity', says Francisco José.

Francisco José, 19, is one of the IMPA Tech graduates who came from far away to fulfill his dream of studying in the first class of the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics of Technology and Innovation. Originally from Fortaleza (CE), the student has always loved Mathematics, was a medalist in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools), and even in childhood, studied for the subject on his own. Learn about Francisco's story in #BeyondEquations . The Ceará native moved to Rio de Janeiro to pursue his professional career. Now, after almost a year of classes, he is certain that he made a good choice. “I had high expectations for the degree and everything I imagined came true. Here, the classes are excellent. The entire structure of IMPA Tech is designed to help students learn the knowledge in practice. The Institute does everything possible to ensure we have a good experience, using our time in the best possible way, dedicating ourselves to our studies,” he said. But even before graduating, the student had already been involved with other IMPA initiatives. His first participation in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools) was in his first year of high school at EEEP Professor César Campelo, a public school in Fortaleza. “I took the test by chance; I didn't know what the Olympiad meant, but I passed to the second phase. In that first year, I won a bronze medal and went on to participate in the PIC (Junior Scientific Initiation Program).” During the program's advanced math classes, Francisco worked hard to improve his results in the science Olympiad. “I always really liked math, but I didn't have any contact with knowledge Olympiads during elementary school. I studied a lot on my own because I was curious and wanted to better understand how things work. In the PIC meetings and online forums, I dedicated myself and improved my skills in the subject.” And the effort paid off. In 2023, the student was enrolled in an integrated technical course in Electrotechnics at IFCE (Federal Institute of Science, Education and Technology of Ceará), on the Fortaleza campus, when he took the level 3 exam of the 18th OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools). He was one of four gold medalists from public schools across the state of Ceará in the national awards. In June of this year, the medal was presented to the student during the OBMEP National Awards Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. Francisco was one of 650 students honored in a special ceremony attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In addition to the ceremony, the awardees stayed at a hotel where they participated in cultural activities and mathematical challenges. “It was three days of great learning. It’s a very important meeting to get to know people who like the same area as us, which allows us to expand our network of contacts and find new opportunities in mathematics,” said Francisco. Now, simultaneously with his undergraduate studies, the student is participating in the PICME (Scientific Initiation and Master's Program) scientific initiation program in the area of graphs. The meetings, led by Professor Ueverton Souza, address the functioning of algorithms and their usability for problem-solving. New IMPA Tech Class: The selection process for the 2025 class of the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics of Technology and Innovation is open for applications until 5 PM on December 27th. Those interested should apply on the IMPA Tech website . Medalists from five knowledge olympiads (OBMEP, OBM, OBFEP, OBQ, and OBI) and students with good performance in the ENEM (National High School Exam) are eligible. Complete information is available in the announcement . Francisco is excited about the arrival of his new classmates and left a message for the candidates. “I am excited for the arrival of the new students. I don't think there is an institution that offers a better educational opportunity than this. Whoever gets into IMPA Tech should come here. It's one of the best opportunities that exist in Brazil,” he concluded. Also read: Olympic Girls end the year at IMPA Tech; IMPA will be present at the 2024 Science Festival.