N.S. math prodigy chasing dream of being on Team Canada in Olympiad
Global News
Fourteen-year-old Maria Mihai succeeded in the Canadian Open Math Challenge this week, which earned her the chance to qualify for Team Canada in the next math Olympiad.
Maria Mihai and her mother were overwhelmed with excitement when they found out years of dedication to improving her math skills had paid off.
“We both just started screaming,” said 14-year-old Mihai of passing the Canadian Open Math Challenge this week.
The competition is hosted by the University of Toronto, and winning it comes with a chance for Mihai to earn a spot on Team Canada in the Math Olympiad. Of the 8,000 students who enter, only around 50 are offered the chance to write the team selection test which is taking place this weekend.
The European Girls Math Olympiad is a dream that Mihai has been chasing for years.
“I think in fourth grade, a teacher at Dalhousie, she was holding a math club and she was talking about it, and I talked to my mom about doing it,” said Mihai, a student at Lockview High School.
“The contest is for the best 15 girls in Canada, so I’m really excited,” said Mihai.
Mihai has always had a passion and talent for math — a trait that runs in her family.
“My grandmother actually teaches math and she used to give lessons to me when I was younger,” she said, “and my parents are both really, really smart as well.”