Lexington High School senior and math team captain Ella Kim has no shortage of math awards.

Kim has qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination three times and received the Math Prize for Girls. In the last year alone, she has attended numerous competitions with the LHS Math Team—the Harvard MIT Math Tournament, the Carnegie Mellon Informatics and Mathematics Competition, and the Official American Regions Mathematics League.

“I started doing math competitively because I enjoyed the interesting topics and problem solving challenges. I think that the same love for interesting problems has led me to continue working on math until now,” Kim said.

Kim is an active participant in math competitions, and as a captain of the LHS Math Team, she has been able to use her skills to assist in organizing the biannual Lexington Math Tournament with the aim to guide younger students through the transition to high school math.

“We run the Lexington Math Tournament (LMT) twice a year. Through the tournament, we hope to bridge the gap between middle and high school math, as well as encourage students to continue pursuing math. I really enjoyed competing in LMT when I was in middle school, so it’s great to be able to create the same fun experience for current competitors,” Kim said.

Kim has encountered numerous challenges in her math journey, but she has been able to face and overcome them with resilience.

“I’ve led many competition practices, tryouts, and teams at competitions. It really requires me to be on top of things, be flexible when dealing with challenges, and be present for other members,” Kim said.

In her last year at LHS, Kim hopes to continue pursuing and exploring the STEM field. She believes that her high school experience can help her navigate her academic future.

“After high school, I’d like to pursue higher education and a career in STEM, likely involving a lot of math,” Kim said.