Faith Odunsi: The 15-Year-Old Who Beat America, UK, and China in Mathematics Now Studying at MIT.
In 2021, a 15-year-old girl from Ogun State, Nigeria, did something that made the entire continent sit up and take notice. Her name is Faith Odunsi, and she walked into the Global Open Mathematics Tournament and walked out as the champion—beating competitors from the United States, United Kingdom, China, and other countries .
It was not a small feat. The competition brought together some of the brightest young minds from Europe, Africa, America, Asia, and Australia . Faith, then a student at The Ambassadors Schools in Ota, Ogun State, didn’t just win. She won with a 30-point lead, finishing with 40 points while the first runner-up managed only 10.
READ: Tinubu Secures $1.25 Billion World Bank Loan to Boost Investment and Employment
The judges were so impressed by her speed and accuracy that they nicknamed her “The Calculator.”
Five years later, Faith is still going strong. She is now studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the most respected universities in the world . She earned a scholarship there based on her remarkable abilities in mathematics and science.
Faith’s journey to the top wasn’t easy. In an interview after her win, she explained that the first stage of the competition was the toughest. It was a computer-based test, and she had to answer many questions within one hour. She scored 66 in that round.
The semi-finals brought its own drama. Faith found herself in a tiebreaker against a female student from an Asian country. She admitted she was nervous. “I was already tense, so I just smiled. I was too anxious to dance,” she said.
But when it mattered most, she delivered. She got the final question right and secured her place as the overall winner.
Faith has often credited her father, a medical doctor, for sparking her love for mathematics. She thinks she inherited her skills from him, as he also participated in competitions when he was younger . Her parents provided advice and reading tips throughout her preparation.
Her school also played a big role. Teachers organized extra classes for competitions, and her coach worked with her after regular school hours. As a boarding student, Faith studied late into the night, often from 11 p.m. to midnight.
Faith isn’t one-dimensional. She also loves Information and Communications Technology and has participated in competitions across Africa and beyond, including the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad and the South African Mathematics Olympiad .
In 2019, she set a record at Nigeria’s Cowbellpedia competition by answering 19 questions in 60 seconds . She also earned six A* grades and one A in her Cambridge examinations.
READ: Will Money Become ‘Meaningless’ by 2036? Musk Says AI Could Kill the Paycheck in Ten Years
Nigeria is full of talented young people. Faith is proof of that. Her success shows what can happen when talent meets opportunity and support.
Her achievements also challenge the idea that girls can’t excel in mathematics. In many places, female students are discouraged from pursuing STEM subjects. Faith stands as a counter to that narrative. She has become a role model for young girls across Nigeria and Africa who dream of competing on the global stage.
The National Orientation Agency named her “Nigerian of the Week” after her victory, calling her “a true inspiration.”
Faith’s story is far from over. She continues her studies at MIT, where she is involved with the African community on campus . She dreams of creating solutions for her community through computer engineering.
For a girl who once studied at night in a boarding school in Ogun State, she has come a very long way. And she’s just getting started.
Discover more from TOKTOK9JA MEDIA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
