24/05/2021

In the book "Inspiring Stories from OBMEP": Alex Sandro Santos

As a child in the interior of Piauí, Alex Sandro Lopes Santos, now a doctor and master, never imagined that he would one day dedicate his life to mathematics. Until the age of 17, he didn't even suspect he had any aptitude for the exact sciences. He was a teenager from a simple family, raised by his mother, grandparents, and uncles. That is, until he discovered that he could solve problems much more easily than his schoolmates.
most difficult aspects of the subject.

“Mathematics came into my life naturally. I myself didn't realize how aptitude I had for it. It was only when I participated in the 2004 Piauí Public Schools Olympiad, a kind of pilot project for the national OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), that I realized I had a knack for it. I came in fourth place in the state and first in the region,” recalls Alex Sandro, a professor at the UFPI (Federal University of Piauí) campus in the municipality of Picos, about 300 km from the capital Teresina.

Alex Sandro, 31, initially graduated in Business Administration through a distance learning program, and later in Mathematics from UESPI (State University of Piauí). In 2011, he completed his master's degree at UFPI. He finished his doctorate in Mathematics in the first semester of this year at UFC (Federal University of Ceará).

The surprising success achieved in the Piauí Olympiad enabled Alex Sandro to pursue advancements in Mathematics. While still in Esperantina, his hometown 200 km from Teresina, he participated in the 2005 and 2006 Brazilian Mathematical Olympiads (OBMEPs), winning silver medals in both. More than a decade later, Alex Sandro sees his participation in the OBMEPs and the PICME scholarship as fundamental to his academic career. “The importance of the OBMEP in my trajectory is immense. The Olympiads revealed a potential that even I didn't know I had. But it's not just that. They allowed me to explore this potential in the best possible way, with PICME. When PICME was launched, I was somewhat frustrated, thinking that only from that moment on could medalists try to enter postgraduate studies in Mathematics with a scholarship. But I soon learned that all previous medalists could, and I seized the opportunity,” he says.

One of the professionals responsible for preparing the Piauí Olympiad, a precursor to the national OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), for the past 13 years, Professor João Xavier da Cruz Neto, from the Mathematics course at UFPI (Federal University of Piauí), vividly remembers Alex Sandro's performance and subsequent integration into academic life. According to Xavier, the young man's successful career is a consequence of the determination with which he dedicated himself to his studies. This commitment developed his potential for mathematics, the professor believes.

“We brought together the 15 best students from the Piauí Olympiad and conducted a week of intensive study in advanced mathematics compared to conventional teaching. Alex, from a very young age, already demonstrated tremendous aptitude. Knowing this potential, we managed to get him to come to Teresina to attend in-person classes, with a scientific initiation scholarship. We talked to his family. I myself went to Esperantina in an attempt to convince him to come to the capital. And he came. He lived in a shared house with students of the same profile. He went through some difficulties, but managed to overcome the adversities,” recounts the professor.

Alex Sandro recounts that, coming from a modest background, he had money problems when he arrived in Teresina. “I lost my father when I was a baby. My mother and I went to live with my maternal grandparents. There were ten of us living there, including grandparents, cousins, and aunts. The family's social level was reasonable. We didn't have luxuries, but we didn't go hungry either. My mother received a pension of one minimum wage, left by my father. With that money, she invested as much as possible in my education. That way, I didn't have to work as a child and could dedicate more time to my studies. The most difficult period was when I went to the capital with a scientific initiation grant of R$ 300. After that, I started my master's degree, and things improved,” he says.

Alex Sandro has been married to Yane Francisca Sales Barros for five years. The couple has known each other since high school in Esperantina. “He was always a good student, one of the best in the class. We only started dating at the end of high school, almost when he won an award at the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP). I followed his entire journey, from entering university until now. The worst part was when he moved to Teresina to continue his studies, because there he could explore his potential more. I accepted it because it was best for him and, in the future, for us. From then on, he never stopped. He completed his master's degree in 2012 and started his doctorate in the same year. I had to adapt to this studious boyfriend and support him,” she says.

Yane is proud of "the person Alex Sandro has become through his studies, having taken advantage of opportunities," and sees the sacrifices they both made, including dating long-distance, as rewarded "in the name of the dream of becoming a great professional."

Professor Alex Sandro, a tenured professor, currently teaches Mathematics at the Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros Campus of UFPI in Picos. He could have pursued his career in Teresina, but opted for the opportunity to educate low-income students. “I would say that his commitment to his past is what stands out most in Alex's personality. He preferred to stay in Picos because he wants to develop work with simple young people, like himself. To give an example of the excellence of his work, I cite the presence of graduates from Picos in the Master's program in Mathematics at UFPI. The Master's program was created in 2009. Until last year, there was no one from Picos. This year, already reflecting his work there, there are three students enrolled in the Master's program from the Picos campus,” says Professor João Xavier.

* Text taken from the book “Inspiring Stories of OBMEP”