Pinnacle Stories

Vera Morancho, a student from Aula Escola Europea, participated with success in various math and computer science contests, including the EGMO and EGOI. Let us see how she managed to achieve all that success.

How did you start learning mathematics and computer science?

I started learning mathematics and computer science at school, and also at home, since I was interested in them. My father, who is a computer science teacher, did teach me a bit more about computer science or would give me math problems. It was through the Cangur tests, which at my school were mandatory, everyone took them, that I received information about the olympiads, and I decided to participate and learn more.

Did anyone in particular inspire you to participate in math and computer science competitions?

I didn’t know it existed, to be honest, and I was told, besides the Cangur, that this existed. I joined some preparation classes that I really enjoyed. In those classes, there were people who had participated in the IMO, and now they teach classes. From those classes, maybe they did inspire me. And from there, I’ve continued participating.

When you started learning mathematics, did you expect to participate successfully in multiple competitions?

Honestly, no, because I was going to those classes but felt like I wasn’t understanding anything and couldn’t solve any problems. But in the end, when I was in 10th grade, two years ago, I said to myself: “Since I’ve taken these classes, I’ll try the olympiad and see how it goes.” I didn’t expect anything, and in the end, I won the gold medal, I placed third. I didn’t expect it at all! So, of course, from that point, I had a bit more expectation, but when I started, I had zero expectations. And in the end, it turned out pretty well!

How did you win a bronze medal at the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics 2025? Did you attend any classes to prepare for the competition?

Well, it was through working hard and practicing problems repeatedly. For the EGOI, it was largely thanks to the classes offered by OIFem, the Spanish Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics, which are aimed specifically for girls. These classes are very motivating because a few years ago there were very few girls, and since OIFem started giving classes, more and more girls have participated.

Through these classes, which also help select participants for the European competition, I learned a lot and gradually improved. Finally, I was able to attend the competition and performed quite well.

I didn’t expect much, of course. I solved some problems thinking, “This isn’t working for me.” But during the competition, under pressure and while focused, sometimes it goes worse, sometimes better. In my case, it went better because I can’t concentrate as well at home. There, I was able to focus, and it went quite well.

How did you win a silver medal for Spain at the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad 2025?

Last year, in Kosovo, I prepared quite a lot because I was really excited to do well, since the previous year I had missed the bronze medal by one point and received an Honorable Mention. So it was really close.

I practiced many problems from previous editions, because it’s about practicing different types of problems to face varying difficulties. In the end, it depends a lot on how you perform those days, because the competition lasts only two days and has six problems; if one problem doesn’t go well, it can affect your score a lot. But in the end, if you practice a lot, it shows in the competition. I did quite well: I finished very close, just two points away from gold, but let’s see if I have more luck this year.

How did you get a silver medal at the Spanish Mathematical Olympiad?

More or less the same. I think it was before the European competition. It’s this: practice a lot, especially problems from previous editions of that competition, because the difficulty does vary between different competitions, and get used to the types of problems they set. There is theory, but that’s the least important part. What matters is having problem-solving skills, being able to think and develop ideas even if you haven’t seen them before. This is important to have ideas ready, and for the ones you haven’t seen before, you must have the ability to solve them on the spot.

Have you participated in other math or science competitions before participating in these olympiads?

Yes, mostly in mathematics, for which quite a few competitions are organized for 7th graders. The most notable would be the Cangur, which has a completely different concept from the olympiads. The problems aren’t difficult; the only challenge is that you have very little time, so you have to go very fast. In contrast, in the olympiads, even with extra time, you sometimes just stare at the ceiling because you don’t know what to do—there are three problems, and they don’t come easily. The concept is completely different, but in the end, the idea is the same: mathematics.

From there, I started looking at other competitions, and personally, I like the Olympiads more than the Cangur. Also, not only those: in Catalonia there was FEMMATES, which is a junior Spanish Olympiad, which I also attended in 2022. Honestly, I prefer the format of the high school Olympiads over the ones for 7th or 8th grade students.

How would you describe all these experiences in a few words?

These experiences have served me, besides satisfying my curiosity or my desire to learn more mathematics. Above all, they help you meet people who have similar interests to mine, which is harder to find. And it’s really great because you join a community of people who also like mathematics or computer science, which is wonderful. It’s not so easy to find people like that. It’s hard to describe, but that’s it. I think sometimes people focus too much on the problems, the results, and the medals, but in the end, the most important thing for me is the people you meet.

Do you plan to participate in other math or computer science competitions?

Yes, this year I will probably participate in the same competitions as last year. That is, those are the ones I can take part in. I will try to see if I can improve my results or achieve… My main goal is to win gold at the European Mathematics Olympiad, the girls’ division.

But, if I get lucky, which I think is unlikely, I might have a chance to go to the International, since last year I just missed it by one position. I think I will continue participating, because after all, I participate because I enjoy it. So, I want to keep participating.

It’s true that this year I have more schoolwork, since I am in 12th grade, but I’ll try to balance it, and at university I’ll also try to participate as much as possible. And if not, I’d also like to teach, or if asked, give classes to beginners, because that’s what inspired me to start in the first place.

What advice would you give a teen who wants to succeed in math and computer science competitions?

Well, I think it’s what I’ve been saying: the most important thing is to practice problems. If you want to prepare for a specific Olympiad, practice problems from previous editions of that same Olympiad.

Because in the end, even though it may seem from the outside that you need a lot of theory and have to know a lot, the most important thing is to be able to adapt to things you haven’t seen before. And that can only be learned through experience and having encountered unfamiliar problems at home.

Otherwise, when they give it to you in the competition, you won’t know what to do. So, that’s it: for me, the most important thing is to practice and dedicate time to facing problems.