On Apr 21, 2022, six girls from Columbus High School attended the 25th Sonia Kovalevsky Day, or SK Day, at Valdosta State University.
SK Day is held annually in honor of Sonia Kovalevsky; the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics and widely known as the greatest female mathematician of the 19th Century. The event is organized by the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and is hosted at colleges and universities around the country.
Thirteen schools attended the event for both a series of workshops and a math competition. Students and teachers also won door prizes which ranged from gift cards to t-shirts. Six girls were selected from each school for their interest in mathematics or STEM-related subjects.
Columbus High School Seniors, Emma Hardin, Eva Cheraisi, Dhwani Patel, and Susan Jiang; Junior, Neha Nakirikanti; and Sophomore, Juliana Maddox, represented CHS.
The girls attended workshops on Conflict Resolution with Graph Theory, Careers in STEM, the Mobius Strip, and Antiprisms. The workshops were led by Valdosta State professors and students.
The Math Competition was structured as a 45-minute individual exam with no calculator available. Among the over 70 participants, Neha Nakirikanti placed first and Susan Jiang placed second. Nakiriknti won a $1000 scholarship to Valdosta State University and an Echo Dot, and Jiang received a $500 scholarship to Valdosta State University as well.