Victoria Xia Represents MAA at White House Science Fair
| February 8, 2012 |
On February 7, President Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The MAA was represented by Victoria Xia, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Xia was a member of the U.S. team and a gold medalist at the 2011 China Girls Mathematical Olympiad (CGMO).
Xia was one of more than 100 students present at the White House event. A subset of the participants had exhibits, spread across various rooms in the White House. "The exhibits were really interesting, especially the ideas behind them," Xia said. "We had a chance to walk around and see them before the President's speech."
The President announced key steps that the Administration and its partners are taking to help more students excel in math and science, and earn degrees in these subjects. He also had time to view some of the exhibits (and try out a marshmallow-firing air cannon).
Xia herself did not get to meet the President. Nonetheless, "it was a great opportunity and very exciting," she said.
While the CGMO was Xia's first experience with international competition, she is a veteran of math contests. She won first place and a $25,000 prize at the 2011 "Math Prize for Girls" competition. She has participated in MAA's AMC Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program and earned a perfect score on the AMC 8 competition as a seventh grader in 2008.
"I loved the math, bonding, and China," Xia said about the 2011 CGMO experience. "The trip was phenomenal. All the girls I was with, including our two coaches, were just the most enjoyable people to be around, and we became so close as a team that it's hard to describe."
When asked who has been especially influential in her mathematics education, Xia credited her father. "From the very start my dad played a huge role in furthering my math education," she said, "all the way from teaching me the basics to sitting down with me and mulling over problems, and to simply supporting and encouraging me before competitions."
"My entire family has been very supportive of my mathematical pursuits, and I also owe endless amounts of thanks to all my teachers, coaches, and instructors," she added.
The President hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010, and the MAA was then represented by Ben Gunby, gold medalist at the 2010 International Mathematical Olympiad (more).
Read the official White House Press Release about the 2012 White House Science Fair.
About AMC
The mission of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions is to increase interest in mathematics and to develop problem solving through a fun competition. Teachers and schools benefit from the chance to challenge students with interesting mathematical questions that are aligned with curriculum standards at all levels of difficulty. In addition, students gain the opportunity to learn and achieve through competition with students in their school and around the world.
About CGMO
The China Girls Math Olympiad is an international competition with a proof-based format similar to the International Math Olympiad. The U.S. girls team has been award-winning since it first competed in the CGMO in 2007. Funding for this project is provided by IBM Research – Almaden, Akamai Foundation, Mathematical Association of America, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Sunlin and Priscilla Chou Foundation, and Science Workshop.
Related Links
Victoria Xia Tops All at 2011 "Math Prize for Girls" Contest (Math in the News, October 6, 2011)
U.S. Competitors All Win Medals at 2011 China Girls Math Olympiad (Math in the News, August 12, 2011)
International Mathematical Olympiad
USA Mathematical Olympiad
China Girls Math Olympiad
Support American Math Competitions