Encouraged by her parents and teachers, young woman wins 2nd OBMEP gold medal

At Úrsula Romão’s house, mathematics was never just a school subject. It has always been present in conversations, games and small everyday situations. At the age of 12, a student in the municipal school of Coruripe, in the interior of Alagoas, Úrsula transformed this natural interaction with numbers into an achievement that inspires: her second OBMEP gold medal.

The daughter of two math teachers, Ursula grew up in an environment where learning was part of the family routine. Encouragement came early, but always in a light-hearted way. As her father, Darliton Romão, explains, “we have always taken mathematics lightly and simply in our family”. According to him, his children learned from an early age that “math is in everything and whoever masters it comes out on top”.

More than a professional project, mathematics was presented as something accessible and even fun. Games, mental challenges and small family competitions helped build a positive relationship with the subject, far removed from the idea that math is difficult or inaccessible. “I’ve always liked math,” says the student, reinforcing her family’s encouragement.

This favorable family environment has been combined with another fundamental element in the young woman’s career: encouragement at school. Úrsula studies at the Liége Gama Rocha School, which offers training for knowledge Olympiads. From an early age, the student took part in competitions, but it was in 6th grade that she began to dedicate herself more consistently to the math Olympiad.

“I’ve always had a lot of support, I’ve always taken part in various training programs,” says the young woman, who after her first OBMEP medal joined the PIC Jr. (Scientific Initiation Program).

The golds in the 19th and 20th OBMEP won by Ursula are among the first recorded in more than a decade in the city, reinforcing the impact of public education when combined with opportunities and encouragement.

The Olympiad also provided experiences, such as taking part in the National Ceremony of the 19th OBMEP, in Rio de Janeiro – her first trip by plane alone and to another region of Brazil.

“I think this race was one of the most important I’ve ever done in my life. It really gave me a lot of opportunities,” he says. From these experiences, new horizons have opened up. Úrsula dreams of studying mathematics at IMPA Tech, IMPA’s undergraduate program, and pursuing an academic career.