17/07/2019

OBMEP medalist parades in a fire truck.

Felipe Plentz Klein desfila em carro de bombeiros

Reproduction of Marcelo Viana's column in Folha de S.Paulo.

Last week, Felipe Plentz Klein, 15, experienced the adventure of a lifetime. He traveled over 3,000 km from Sapiranga (RS) to Salvador (BA) to receive his gold medal from the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools (OBMEP).

Alongside 574 other boys and girls, he participated in the always exciting awards ceremony, presided over by Marcos Pontes, Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), and attended by representatives of the academic community and state and municipal governments.

In Salvador, Felipe met young people from all over Brazil who share his fascination with mathematics and the Olympiad.

Shy Mariana Heck, from the Military College of Rio de Janeiro, listened intently to the lecture that preceded the awards ceremony. She's not shy when it comes to mathematics: she won gold in 6th grade, in her first Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP).

Nayra de Oliveira, from Cocal dos Alves (PI), a town of 5,500 inhabitants, won her fourth medal and hopes to enter the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. Through the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP), the students at her school, Augustinho Brandão (8 gold, 9 silver, 4 bronze medals and four honorable mentions this year), learned to dream big. Discovered there through OBMEP, Sandoel Vieira is now a doctoral student at IMPA (Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics). Speaking to journalists, Nayra spoke fluently about how the Olympiad opens up opportunities, especially outside of major urban centers.

Orisvaldo Salviano, from Ceará, is a prime example of this in his most recent participation. His success—30 medals in the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP) and other knowledge olympiads—opened the doors to the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he will begin his studies next month!

The Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP) has been organized since 2005 by IMPA, in partnership with the Brazilian Mathematical Society, and with the support of MCTIC and the Ministry of Education.

Felipe Plentz Klein é recebido em sua escola com faixa de parabéns pela conquista na Obmep – Divulgação

More than 18 million young people from virtually every municipality in Brazil participate in the first phase. The top 5% from each school qualify for the second phase, which determines the prizes. Since 2017, the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP) has been open to all schools in the country, both public and private.

For Felipe, from Rio Grande do Sul, perhaps the best was saved for last. He paraded in a fire truck through Sapiranga! This isn't just for soccer champions. Felipe was received with banners and applause at the Pastor Rodolfo Saenger Municipal School, which also received two silver medals, one bronze medal, and eight honorable mentions. This was an opportunity for the mayor to congratulate the municipal school system on its excellent results: ten medals and 50 honorable mentions in total.

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