“Mathematics has helped me overcome my shyness,” says Germán Cabedo, a promising young mathematician, in this interview.
Germán Cabedo, a 6th grade student, has emerged as a great promise in mathematics, having been the first-place winner in the Provincial Mathematics Olympiad and also having come in first place in the “Pangea” mathematics competition, obtaining the best score of the 13.000 applicants of his age from all over Spain.
Germán, 11 years old, is a brilliant student. His teacher and head of the primary school math department, Davinia Gómez, highlights his "perseverance and his ability to visualize a written problem in just a few seconds." The school helps him hone this talent and prepare for the math competitions he faces, which he approaches with enthusiasm, achieving fantastic results.
Today he comes to this interview accompanied by his teacher and, although he seems somewhat shy at first, he soon gains confidence when talking about something he is passionate about: mathematics.
- Germán, how has your experience been participating for the second year in a row in the Provincial Mathematics Olympiad? Did you expect to come in first place?
“I wasn’t expecting it, since the level of the participants was high, so I was very happy to hear the results. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, with other kids my age who enjoy math. The problems we had to solve, of varying difficulty, were also very challenging.”
- I imagine mathematics is your favorite subject…
“Yes (laughs…) I like them a lot, I couldn’t say why.”
Here, his teacher Davinia Gómez points out, "Germán has a great ability to visualize problems; in a few seconds, he takes them off the paper and puts them into an image."
- How have the school and your teachers helped you achieve this challenge?
“I have received a lot of help from the school in recent months to prepare for the two events: the Olympiad and the Pangea competition. In addition, I learn a lot in class and I enjoy going to the board to solve problems, helping my classmates with their questions, and doing activities both inside and outside the classroom.”
- What are you facing now after finishing first in the provincial mathematics Olympiad? What's the next challenge?
“Now I’m going for the regional phase, which will be held in Cheste on May 27th and 28th. The top 8 students from Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón will be there. In total, 24 students from 5th and 6th grade who have already passed the district and provincial games.”
- What will the test consist of? Explain to us what you have to do.
“The test has an initial individual phase of 6 problems and then a group phase in which I am assigned two colleagues I don't know. Together we carry out two practical tests, the speed test in which we have five minutes to solve a problem between the three of us, and the field test, which is carried out outside the premises and may consist of measuring a lamppost or the tiles on a certain surface.”
- Mathematics is often thought of as an individual task, but seeing how competitions are structured, it seems that this is not the case…
“No, in this competition they really value collaborative work. In both group tests, we have to reach an agreement on the answer, and we also have to present our conclusions as a group. This is something I feel comfortable with because it's the way we work at Lope de Vega. Mathematics has helped me overcome my shyness.”
- What would you like to be when you grow up? Do you already have any ideas?
“No, not yet, but I know for sure that I will dedicate myself to something related to mathematics and science; I like it and I'm good at it.”
We wish Germán the best of luck in the competition taking place in Valencia in two weeks. Unfortunately, the Olympics coincided with the Pangea competition, in which he had also qualified first out of 13.000 boys his age for the final, so he had to choose between the two. He's going with the intention of having a good time and enjoying the experience, and if he also places among the top finishers, all the better.
