21 August, 2026

A Student’s View: Putting My Math Skills to the Test

Part of our Student’s View series, Owen shares his experience representing Country Day School in OLCOMEP and challenging himself through math, creativity, and problem-solving.

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Hi, my name is Owen, and I am a 7th grader at Country Day School. Have you ever competed in a math challenge where you get to represent your school? For me, representing Country Day School is something I’m really proud of.

This year, I decided to take on a new challenge: OLCOMEP, a math competition organized by the Ministerio de Educación Pública. I decided to join this math competition because I thought it was very interesting to see how far I could push myself and put my math skills on the test. Since I’m still developing my Spanish, taking the test in Spanish added an extra layer of challenge. But I actually enjoyed that it pushed me to think harder, look for clues, and find different ways to understand each problem.

Throughout the test, I learned something new: how to approach math problems in a different way. I had to look for clues, like numbers and symbols, to help me understand what each problem was asking me. It challenged me to think creatively.

Making it to the second round helps me see what I’m capable of, where my level of math currently is, and if I can reach the third roundusing everything I’ve learned at school and putting it to the test.

For me, OLCOMEP has been about more than just math. It has helped me gain a new perspective on my life, where I can think more creatively when looking at problems, and challenge my own brain to keep going forward. I’m proud to represent Country Day School, and I’m excited to see how far I can go.

A Student’s View is a series where our students share their voices, experiences, and perspectives. Discover how Country Day School empowers students to think creatively and critically, embrace challenges, and push themselves to reach their highest potential. We are grateful to the Ministerio de Educación Pública (MEP) for creating opportunities like OLCOMEP for students across Costa Rica. Through this initiative, students are encouraged to develop their mathematical problem-solving abilities, strengthen their love of mathematics, and participate in healthy competition with students from different regions of the country.