For our Student Spotlight, Daily Hawk has recognized two alumni that made their names known internationally. These spectacular students are: Gustavo Ribeiro (7th Grade) and Sofia Cintra (8th Grade).
The two students have participated in domestic and international Olympics that have garnered them all a medal! Gustavo Ribeiro won a bronze medal in an astronomy competition at Copernicus in Houston, Texas, and Sofia Cintra won a gold medal in the programming competition OBI. Here is what they had to say about their experience and other Olympics they have participated in:
Interview with Gustavo Ribeiro
Q: When did you start being interested in astronomy?
A: Ever since I was tiny -- 7 years old, perhaps
Q: What Olympics have you previously participated in and what were the awards you won in each?
A: I have previously entered the Brazilian Olympiad of Astronomy, earning me a silver medal. In fact, that is how I got to Copernicus, then I traveled to Houston and got a bronze medal there. I have also been into more virtual olympiads of mathematics, one of which was TIMO. It was an extremely hard math olympiad, and if I had been awarded any medal, I would compete in Thailand. Unfortunately, it was way too hard for me.
Q: What was your experience with astronomy prior to the Olympics?
A: I loved astronomy even before the Olympics: I watched videos of astronomy which had tons of cool information that I was completely unaware of.
Q: What tips would you give to other people who want to participate in astronomy contests?
A: I would recommend practicing previous Olympics questions, since they will help you have an idea of what will come next. I would also recommend studying a lot.
Q: How was your experience at the Olympics? Did you enjoy it?
A: I loved my experience in the Olympics. I met very friendly people in Houston and we visited several interesting museums.
Q: How much time did you spend practicing and studying for your Olympics?
A: About 30 minutes daily
Interview with Sofia Cintra
Q: When did you start being interested in programming?
A: I started being interested in programming when I tried to do an HTML course in Khan Academy at 7 years old because I was bored. My mom saw me doing this course, so she signed me up for a programming class.
Q: What Olympics have you previously participated in and what were the awards you won in each?
A: I continued to take programming classes from then on and, when I was 11, my programming teacher told me about the informatics Olympics, which in Brazil is called OBI, and I participated in it for the first time, which was in 2020. When I first participated I got no medal, but in 2021 I got 7th place nationally giving me a gold medal. Then in 2022, I competed in a more difficult level in OBI and I got 3rd place nationally, which also gave me a gold medal.
Q: What was your experience with programming prior to the Olympics?
A: Since 2020, I have also participated in OBA, which is the astronomy Olympics. In 2020, I got a bronze medal in OBA and, in 2021 and 2022, I got a gold medal in OBA.
Q: What tips would you give to other people who want to participate in programming contests?
A: I think that a tip that I could give to people participating in competitive programming contests is to start from the basics and follow some course that teaches topics with increasing levels of difficulty. Some examples of courses like that can be found in USACO Guide and Neps Academy However, the biggest tip I think I could give to anyone in competitive programming is to practice a lot of programming exercises. For every topic you learn, do a variety of exercises that use the topic somehow.
Q: How was your experience at the Olympics? Did you enjoy it?
A: Last year, my experience in OBI contests was more stressful than previous years because the test was harder. However, since I got 7th nationally, I was invited to a one-week training camp in Unicamp and I enjoyed that a lot as I was able to meet people who are nerds about the same thing as I am.
Q: How much time did you spend practicing and studying for your Olympics?
A: Normally, from Monday to Thursday I practice 1 hour a day, Friday I practice 3 hours, Saturday I practice 7 hours and Sunday I practice 5 hours. I am practicing this much because this year I am going to participate in the most difficult level in OBI.
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