A few days ago, I got a valuable opportunity to be on my school’s Purple Comet Team! Purple Comet “is a free, annual, international, online, team, mathematics competition designed for middle and high school students that has been held every year since 2003” (https://purplecomet.org/). This year 3,752 teams from 75 countries registered for the competition, an incredible testament to the global love and importance for math.
Our team of six challenged ourselves in each problem with focus and determination and felt rewarded after solving them, sharing our ideas, and supporting one another. It wasn’t just about getting the right answers – it was about collaboration, critical-thinking, and bonding over our love of math.
Personally, there was one aspect of the competition that could have been better; more girls on my school team and the competition. When I shared the list of team members with one of my math teachers, his first reaction was, “Oh! You’re the only girl.” It wasn’t because other girls weren’t capable of solving problems; however, the reason was more about the discouragement and self-doubt that prohibited them from competing. When I encouraged one of my math-loving friends to join, she frowned and said, “Mihika, I’m not good enough!” That was a sad moment for me as she is one of the smartest and talented people I know.
One piece of advice I would give to all of the girls is that if I learned to believe in myself, everyone can do the same. Sometimes, I lack confidence and tell myself that I am not as knowledgeable or skilled, but I then remember that there are people who support me in everything I do, especially the math team. As I wrote in my earlier blog on Math + Girls = Fun, Dr. Cortinovis said, “If a math competition goes well, that’s great! If it doesn’t, who cares? So, participate because you have nothing to lose.”
Also, team competitions are priceless ways to begin the math competition journey and gain experience because most members are uplifting, inspiring, and contributing to a positive team morale. So, take the first step. You are more than good enough.