25/07/2025

'OBMEP funded my undergraduate studies,' says Tatiana Danelon.

The daughter of a seamstress and a mechanic, Tatiana Danelon always wanted to be a teacher. To achieve this dream, the young woman spared no effort, dedication, and seized every opportunity that came her way. Today, the professor in the Department of Applied and Computational Mechanics at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) recalls her story, which began like that of thousands of OBMEP medalists.

The first notebook, academic programs, and incentive grants were some of the contributions the Olympiad made to the teacher's training. Originally from São João Nepomuceno, in Minas Gerais, Tatiana's history with OBMEP began in the 6th grade of elementary school. A student at the Municipal School Dr. Augusto Glória, the young woman's first participation in the Olympiad was supported by an "OBMEP enthusiast," mathematics teacher Rangel Zignago.

Tatiana durante cerimônia de posse na UFJF

Tatiana, a student, brought pride to her mentor. The gold medal came in her very first Olympic appearance, at a time when the young woman says, "I had no idea how much this achievement would bring, how much this medal would change my life. It influenced many things throughout my journey."

For the young woman's parents, the new opportunities were met with surprise and joy. “They had no idea what I was doing at that moment. Everything changed when I started participating in the OBMEP opportunities. There were several trips, I received a medal, I participated in the National Awards Ceremony with the president. My parents were very proud; we could see that I had potential,” said Tatiana.

The first medal was followed by a silver, then another gold, two honorable mentions, and a bronze. The success in the Olympiad led to participation in Hilbert's Hotel and the Junior Scientific Initiation Program (PIC Jr.). “It was a really great time because we were from a small town. So, we all went to the Scientific Initiation program together in a van from the city hall. We had the opportunity to get to know the university environment, to have classes with the professors. The PIC Jr. helped us continue to do well in the Olympiad.”

Tatiana's relationship with OBMEP extended to other initiatives of the Olympiad that helped her stay in her undergraduate civil engineering program at UFJF and, later, in the university's postgraduate program. The professor received incentives from the TIM Scholarship (TIM Institute), the PICME Scientific Initiation Scholarship (CNPq), and the PICME Master's Scholarship (CAPES).

“If I hadn’t received the OBMEP scholarship, I don’t think I would have been able to get into college. At the time, my father had a serious health problem and had to stop working. So, I started supporting myself with the TIM-OBMEP scholarship. I also joined PICME in my first year of college. The Olympiad really made it possible for me to stay in my undergraduate program,” Tatiana said.

Tatiana's successful trajectory in OBMEP led to a professional journey marked by recognition. In 2025, she received the "Invited Student Paper Award" for her article "Modeling Nanoparticle-Stabilized Foam Flow in Porous Media Accounting for Particle Retention and Permeability Reduction" at the Interpore 2025 event in Albuquerque, USA. Furthermore, that same year, Tatiana was also awarded the prize for best doctoral thesis in the area of applied and computational mathematics by the Brazilian Society of Applied and Computational Mathematics (SBMAC).

The realization of a childhood dream now takes on a new chapter in Tatiana's life. "As a teacher, I value even more the important teachers who have been in my life; those who most influenced me were my math teachers. Today, I hope to be able to influence other people as they inspired and supported me," she said.