Fidgeting with eyes glued to the screen, Dryw Elgar Lucaya’s online examination for the Hong Kong International Math Olympiad (HKIMO) Heat Round had yet to start as his parents noticed something was amiss almost 20 minutes into the competition.
“Dryw was just waiting, staring at the screen. Thankfully, the organizers allowed us to refresh the screen,” Mrs. Dianne Lucaya, Dryw’s mother, shared.
Despite the setback of starting his 25-item exam late, the incoming grade three Sagradan still grabbed a silver ranking, qualifying him to represent the Philippines in the final round in Hong Kong this August.
“We called the math olympiad organizers since we are not allowed to go near Dryw,” explained Dr. Eusebio Lucaya, Dryw’s father. “We didn’t want him to miss this significant competition after all those arduous training sessions.
The math whiz competed against over 100 participants from all regions in the Primary 2 level, answering an online test designed to be completed in one and a half hours, as the organization ensured strict measures to verify the child was alone and unaided.
Dryw’s father, a former math olympiad participant in high school, and his mother believe that early exposure might be why Dryw is so interested in mathematics.
“Dryw has been fascinated with math since he was five,” his mother shared.
“Since four or five, he’s been on his own, solving problems in his booklets. We saw his interest and exposed him further,” Mrs. Lucaya said. “We tried Singaporean Math, and he liked it. His dream is to become a math teacher,” Dr. Lucaya shared.
Participants in the HKIMO undergo extensive training sessions, with five sample test sessions leading up to the competition. These tests are analyzed and discussed to ensure participants understand how to arrive at the correct answers.
Dryw, the sole participant from MDSF, was encouraged by his enrichment program to compete. Initially hesitant to have him compete in grade one, his parents decided to give it a shot in grade two.
“Win or lose, we wanted him to gain experience and understand the playing field,” Dr. Lucaya noted.
His father was also impressed by the advanced mathematical concepts Dryw encountered, such as sequencing and combinatorics problems.
“The topics are not overly complicated for his level, but it’s excellent early exposure,” he added.
Upon learning he had won, Dryw expressed pride and gratitude. “I felt very proud and happy. I am thankful for everyone,” the math leaguer said. His advice to other Filipino students was to enjoy learning math. “It’s important to be interested first in math,” he added.
Dr. Lucaya echoed this sentiment. “Different kids have different interests. If they show interest, we push it and support them.”
HKIMO’s objective is to promote mathematical Olympiads worldwide and the exam for the primary level comprised of five main topics: Logical Thinking, Arithmetic, Number Theory, Geometry, and Combinatorics.
By: Reinlois Felipe