The Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) participated in the awarding ceremony to the winner students in secondary education of the School Mathematical Championship (CMAT), the biggest competition with these characteristics in Chile, which has been sponsored by CMM for six years.
Alejandro Jofré, CMM director, highlighted: “The work done by CMAT during all these years is impressive. It is very gratifying to see the enthusiasm of hundreds of young people interested in mathematics and competition. CMM has supported this initiative and will continue supporting it”. Jofré attended the event, which was held on 23th October 2014 at the San Joaquín Campus of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Overall, 350 medals, certificates, cups and trophies were awarded in three categories: individual, team and school. The director of CMM stepped into the stage to welcome 24 winners in individual. They showed great joy and gratitude in front of the 300 attendees at the ceremony, many of them relatives and friends of the students, who filled up the hall.
Rafael Labarca, academic director of CMAT and professor at Universidad de Santiago de Chile (Usach), said in the opening speech: “We want to promote the individual development, which is crucial for the progress of a society. In life, you shall compete with collegues, but also with yourself”. Thus, Labarca encouraged teeneagers, “who will lead our country likely, to become always better”.
Cecilia Marín, executive director of CMAT and professor at Usach too, pointed out “this competition aims to detect talents and to make that students learn mathematics regularly, since they have to take five exams during the six months of the championship”.
In Jaime San Martín’s opinion, CMM researcher who also attended the event, “CMAT is an instrument to financially support many young people to study at university. Otherwise it will be difficult for them. Some of our students at the Faculty participated in these competition”.
Students not only acquire knowledge but also enjoy. Rossanna Regular, from the Sagrado Corazón School in Santiago and first bronze winner, said: “Thanks to CMAT, I also met people and got in contact with other schools. For me it is very important”.
This edition, which opens its doors to 3.600 students, was characterized by the high participation of students coming from 80 cities, from the northern Arica to the southern Valdivia.
More photos in our Flickr gallery:
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