Muna al-Asmakh, a student of Grade 10 at QAD, was invited to compete in the eighth edition of the Materials Science and Engineering Symposium at Texas A&M University of Qatar. This is the first year that high school students were invited to compete in this event. Muna’s project, “Perfume & The Science Behind It,” was an extremely popular exhibit and she was invited to the final round.
Representatives from QAD as well as members of Muna’s family were present during the final judging round, where she got second place and was awarded prize money and a certificate acknowledging her achievements.
Muna al-Asmakh said: “Presenting my project to university professors at the Materials Science and Engineering Symposium was an experience that cannot be described in words. It was an honour to be there and winning second place was beyond my expectations.”
Separately, four Grade 11 math students competed in the final of Carnegie Mellon University Qatar’s “Pi Day Mathematics Competition” on March 18. They were one of the four from 107 teams that qualified for the final round.
In the final round, teams were required to work together to solve difficult math questions in front of an audience including family members, friends, teachers and professors. QAD’s team did extremely well and finished in a close second place. The team received certificates, a trophy, and a tablet each to recognise their success. They are now also eligible to attend the World Math Team Challenge in Bangkok in November 2017. The team members were: Bader Hijji, Tanya Shibu, Usama Usman and Yoojin Kim.
Bader Hijji said, “Each of us brought the skills that we could with us to help push the team farther, and to do better. We were a diverse team with many skills, and the experience as a whole was challenging but we were able to push through together.”
Usama Usman said, “It was a very good experience, as it taught us how to work together to solve complex problems. Teamwork was very important to get the answers.”
Cory Carson, QAD senior school principal, said, “We are proud of our students when they are able to apply their learning to areas of their chosen interest, step out into the larger community and shine. Participation in local and international events raises the profile of Qatar Academy Doha students like Muna, Bader, Tanya, Usama, and Yoojin; students who are truly passionate about their learning and are taking steps to make positive contributions to their community.”
QAD Director Don MacIntyre said, “It is with great pleasure and pride that we recognise the achievements of our Qatar Academy students in these competitions. I want to offer my congratulations on their knowledge and teamwork in achieving such outstanding results. These students are fine examples of the ideals we support and the education we provide at QAD.”
