The student who wins international medals in Mathematics for the pleasure of discovering new things. He starts his day by reading

He is a student in the 5th grade, and the international medals he won in mathematics competitions last year made him known throughout Romania. The US Embassy in Bucharest congratulated him, and the schools that train Olympians “hunt” him. All this time, Florin Eduard Ștefan enjoys discovering new things every day.

Eduard Ștefan is passionate about Lego PHOTO: personal archive

“The little genius”, as the student from Caracal who won gold medals last year at two important international competitions was nicknamed, is a student in the 5th grade at the “Nicolae Titulescu” Secondary School in Caracal. He developed a passion for Mathematics, and the educators saw the first signs that it is more than the curiosity specific to small children. Edy learned the multiplication table while still in kindergarten, going beyond simple addition and subtraction. Everything came naturally, having an older brother who also enjoys learning.

The experience at the Copernicus Mathematics Olympiad was memorable PHOTO: personal archive

Preparatory class started during the pandemic, a time when all children spent a lot of time at home, in front of the computer. Eduard already knew how to write, but he knew much more than that, and this by listening to his brother who was three years older. The parents, in turn, found that Edy has a tremendous appetite for solving problems, all from the desire to discover new things.

The collections ordered in the USA were the most beautiful gift PHOTO: personal archive

He started participating in competitions in the 2nd grade, achieving maximum score. He won the Lumina Math competition every year, and the free camp he received as a prize was one of the motivations to constantly surpass his performance. The camps where he explores are still very dear to him today.

He started looking for other challenges, online contests and courses for the able-bodied kids. In time, he passed the national stages, qualifying for the international stages. That's how he ended up, last spring, in the 4th grade, winning the gold medal at The International Math Challenge (IMC), in Thailand, in Bangkok, and in the summer, gold at the “Copernicus” International Olympiad.

He had previously won the gold medal at the International STEM Olympiad (the final stage, which he completed with a maximum score, was conducted online).

He also qualified, also last year, for the final stage of the Copernicus International Science Olympiad, where he could not make it.

Eduard Florin Ștefan was awarded at the Presidency PHOTO: personal archive

His teacher, Mihaela Ruță, best guided his interest in the exact sciences and intuited that she had to feed his curiosity additionally. Now, in the 5th grade, the role has been taken over by the teachers.

“In the 2nd grade, he participated in a 3rd grade competition. In the 3rd grade, he participated in the 4th grade Olympiad. I think it all started in 2nd grade. He started having an extra notebook. He called her Istețila. He was making an extra notebook in Mathematics. And in Romanian he made an additional notebook, but he didn't work as much as he did in Mathematics”, revealed the student's mother, for “Adevărul”.

The teacher, who at first gave him additional, more difficult homework, because otherwise Edi would get bored, started working with him and privately, absolutely free, sensing the student's extraordinary potential. After that Eduard started interacting online with older students who have the same passion and Math teachers. The student's mother remembered how, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the days when Denis, the older brother, had Mathematics, Edi would enter the classroom of his older classmates under the pretext that he had forgotten the key, when in fact the purpose was to attend the Mathematics class. Today, he sometimes participates in the Mathematics classes of the older classes without inventing any more excuses. In addition, the director, a teacher of the Romanian language, managed to give him even more courage, so he is seriously considering testing his knowledge in this subject as well.

How the adventure of large-scale competitions began

From the 1st grade to the 3rd grade, he attended mental arithmetic courses and started looking for new and new challenges. Today he accesses various platforms, most of them in English, and he is often the one who notifies his parents about the launch of certain contests, in which he registers, participates and wins.

LEGO constructions are among his passions PHOTO: personal archive

Initially, the parents looked for opportunities to further prepare for Edy's brother. When Denis was away at a competition in Portugal, Edy entered the platform in his place and participated in such a meeting with older students passionate about Mathematics. “He was so excited that he was the only one responding. But if you looked at him you could tell he wasn't a 7th grader,” the student's mother also told.

Starting from that experience, he also started collaborating with teachers who prepare students for performance and now also takes online courses.

Chess, Astronomy, Physics, Biology

Mathematics is not the exclusive field of interest for Edy. On the various educational platforms accessed, they solve Logic problems, study Astronomy, Physics, Biology, work on various projects for competitions related to NASA. His dream is, by the way, to become a scientist.

Because the parents want him to do what he does for pleasure and not to overdo it, they encourage Eduard to be a child first and foremost and to enjoy meetings with children his age, to play a lot.

He also relaxes by building Lego, another hobby that keeps him occupied for hours without feeling the time pass. They take piano lessons and practice the organ at home, and trips to competitions are just as many opportunities to stop and spend time with their parents on long walks in nature.

Maximum score in the last competition in which he participated

Eduard has recently managed to add another won competition to his record. He was the only student participating in a Romanian and Mathematics competition – “Mathematical Creation and Logic”, in the first edition -, who achieved the maximum score: 50 points in Romanian Language + 50 points in Mathematics.

The next challenge is the Mathematics Olympiad in the country. At the end of the month, instead, the series of international competitions begins. On January 27, he will go to the finals of the contest he won last year in Thailand, The International Math Challenge (IMC), so he will not be able to participate in the Romanian Language Olympiad, although he would like to.

Edy's dream is to become a scientist PHOTO: personal archive

And if his passion for Mathematics and science is now known to many people, fewer people know that Eduard really likes to read.

He set a very strict schedule, at 9:00 p.m. he finished the study day and went to bed. He does this, he says, because “was documented” and learned that the most restful sleep is obtained in the first part of the night, between 10:00 PM and 12:00 AM. Instead, he wakes up very early and starts his day by reading a few pages of his favorite books. He likes fantasy literature a lot.

“First I read. I really like to read. I read before I go to school,” says Eddy. He has two favorite series – “The School for Good and Evil” and “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” – he can't say which he likes more. After school, he does his homework first, which doesn't take much time, then he starts solving problems in Maths. He works either on online platforms or from the collections that his parents have purchased for him at his suggestion. For some time now he has been preparing using books in English, ordered in the United States of America, because they help him for international competitions. “These books go way beyond the curriculum. I'm in the V-VI category and they have the radicals. But I know the radicals. I don't remember exactly what grade I learned them in, but I know them,” says the student.

Games on the phone are not a temptation for Eduard. Online works on the Brilliant platform and also plays chess. When he thinks about the future he knows clearly that he wants to become a scientist. Mathematician maybe, but he also really likes Astronomy.

He likes experiences outside the country, the contest in New York was an extraordinary opportunity, but he would like to stay in Romania. “I would like to stay in Romania, but the future is unstable anyway. It can't be controlled, let it be just the way we want it.” Edy leaves room for other variants.

If they could change anything, it would be the decision of the Ministry of Education regarding the organization of competitions in primary school. “Those in the primary classes are no longer allowed to participate in contests. It's not right. After all, children come to contests for pleasure. Our teacher didn't force us to go to the contest, it was our will.” says the student.

“We try to combine learning with something else”

Eduard's parents never had to convince the student to do his homework. On the contrary, there are days when it seems to them that he is working too much and then they challenge him to carry out other activities. “We try to combine the teaching with something else”, explained the mother. They are happy that Edy is a sociable child, he gets along well with his classmates and they spend time together when they have the opportunity. Although 9pm is strict for finishing activities, sometimes, says his mother, he allows him to go past it when he hasn't finished a chapter of his favorite book, because he feels that reading relaxes him.

With Edy, it's not difficult even when you want to give him a gift he likes. Math lessons are the ones I never fail. The last ones, ordered in the USA, which they were able to pay for with the help of someone in England (a volume costs, on average, including shipping, about $100), Edy waited impatiently for them.

Walking after the last contest, which he participated in over the weekend PHOTO: personal archive

“He was very excited. They are big, they are in English and they have very good problems, for grades VI-X. He also told me that he has something to do all summer. I told him it is not good too much, we think that he should stop at grades VI-VII. He says that at international competitions he meets quite advanced geometry and then he has to study”. said the mother.

With the friend who keeps him company every day PHOTO: personal archive

In order to support trips to international competitions, the parents received support from several sponsors who showed interest, after the first results became known, to support the student to follow his dream.

“At first it was difficult for us, but we were supported, sponsored. For example, for the contest in Thailand we were sponsored, someone from Slatina, Mr. Ovidiu Gherghina, from Rotaract, helped us with the tickets. Edy was also awarded at the Liberal Ball, he was also awarded by the Slatina Diocese, those from the diocese promised us that they will support him when we need it. Without support it would be very difficult for us, because there are two children “, said the student's mother.

Although they received offers from schools that train children capable of performance, the parents decided for Eduard to attend secondary school in Caracal, at “Nicolae Titulescu” Secondary School, because he enjoys all the support.