Inspiring story: Jean Carlos de Aguiar Lelis
The competition between him and his father to see who could do mental calculations faster was the beginning of it all. Jean Carlos de Aguiar Lelis started there, in that uncommitted game, to discover a world that enchanted him so much that, today, 20 years later, he is a doctoral candidate in Mathematics at the University of Brasília (UnB).
Jean's life resembles that of millions of Brazilians raised in poverty. The difference between him and most is that mathematics appeared out of nowhere and helped him overcome hardship. "Mathematics was always my father's favorite subject. Since he liked to do mental calculations, it became something we shared. It was like a game: who could do the calculation first?", says Jean.
Jean's father is former bricklayer Cláudio Antônio Lelis. His mother, Luciara Neves de Oliveira Lelis, stopped working as a domestic worker due to health reasons. Cláudio and Luciara are Jean's great-aunts and uncles. He calls them his parents because they raised him from the age of two months. “My great-aunts and uncles already had two daughters. They couldn't have any more children, but they raised me as if I were one of their own. The family never had a very good financial situation. My mother had to stop working because of a problem with her wrists. My father supported her and three children; it wasn't easy. He always worked as a freelancer, so when work was scarce, we went through difficult times. But we managed; we never lacked the basics. They always did everything to keep us in school. Even after he could no longer work as a bricklayer, he started selling food,” Jean recounts.
Jean says that he was the only one who liked math in class in Goiânia, where he was born and raised. In sixth grade, he heard about the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP). He saw in the competition a chance to meet young people who also enjoyed math.
From the first Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP), when she won the silver medal, her life changed. She competed in five more Brazilian Mathematics Olympiads for Public Schools. In total, she won one gold medal, one silver medal, two bronze medals, and two honorable mentions. The first competition is still fresh in her memory.
“From my level, level 1, only me and one other student from the school qualified. From level 2, only one. There wasn't even a level 3 at the school. The second phase was far away, I was the only one who went. My father had worked as a bricklayer nearby, he showed me the way to the bus stop. I took the test, went back home. I didn't have internet and went to an internet café to access the Obmep website. It would take a long time to get the results. For someone anxious, two months is an eternity,” he observes.
'The day that changed my life'
A month later, Jean had forgotten about the Obmep. Until the unexpected visited him. “I can’t say how long it took until the day that changed my life. On the way to class at school, many students were looking at me. When I entered, there was a poster with my name. I had won the silver medal at Obmep! I never expected that. I saw that list on the website so many times before I believed it. Everything changed.”
The following year, Jean started his first PIC (Scientific Initiation Program). “Finally, I had other people passionate about Mathematics nearby. Our Saturdays at the Federal University of Goiás were incredible. Everything was new to me; I knew I couldn't live without it anymore.”
Jean participated in five PICs (Programs for Scientific Initiation). He always studied in the public school system, amidst difficulties. “I made do with what I had. I always lived far away, I had to take the bus. With the PIC, things improved. I earned R$ 100 a month. It seems like little, but it was enough for all my monthly expenses. With that, I bought materials, paid for transportation. Whenever I could, I did something to earn extra money: private lessons, schoolwork for other students, sometimes I helped my parents with sales. With that, I was able to get by.”
The Picme program came next. “The great opportunity that Picme opened for me was the chance to become a PhD in Mathematics. As soon as I entered university, I started being advised to pursue a master's and a doctorate. Since I had financial aid, I dedicated myself completely. But Picme did even more, by opening the possibility of pursuing a master's degree alongside my undergraduate studies. That was incredible, and a little difficult too, but I accepted the challenge. In four years, I completed my undergraduate and master's degrees. Thanks to that, today, at 25, I am in my third year of my doctorate.”
Jean praises the scientific initiation programs. “The PIC and Picme programs were the greatest and best prize that could be given to a medalist in a public school olympiad. Firstly, because of the financial support, which helped me a lot to focus on my studies. Furthermore, it allowed me to interact with excellent professors, who greatly shaped my…
"way of thinking."
Soon, he intends to teach at a public university, to continue studying and teaching Mathematics. “I want to pursue an academic career. My idols, since adolescence, are in this field. Thanks to the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP), I learned about Fermat's Last Theorem, proven at the end of the last century by the great Andrew Wiles, in addition to the achievements of Brazilian mathematicians, such as Carlos Gustavo Moreira [Gugu] and Artur Avila [Fields Medal] – both researchers at IMPA. I will only be a drop in this ocean that is Mathematics, but it pleases me to think that I will share the same ocean as these people.”
Claudyane Lelis Santos remembers her brother as a boy fascinated by numbers, an extremely studious boy. "The only time I remember Jean not wanting to stay in class was on his first day of preschool," she says, amused. According to her, Jean "always wanted to know and understand more than what was presented to him" in class. "An excellent student, with outstanding grades. His best grades were always in Mathematics and subjects involving numbers." The passing years, she adds, haven't diminished Jean's interest in Mathematics. Quite the opposite, she says. "The Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP) sealed his passion for numbers once and for all. He couldn't have gone any other way."
Mathematician Anna Carolina Fernandes da Silva knew Jean from the University of Brasília (UnB). She recounts the impact his arrival had: “I met him in my third year of undergraduate studies. The talk of the institute was the freshman who was 'killing it.' Jean arrived so prepared and passionate about mathematics that he was taking fifth-semester courses.”
Carolina reminisces about the time Jean was a monitor at Picme. “It was beautiful how he saw himself in those boys, how he wanted to give back what he had received. He has an undeniable love for mathematics; it's breathtaking when he talks about his dreams and what his life could have been like without it. Without a doubt, Jean has found his place. He loves what he does and does what he loves. I know I will still hear many stories with his name.”