Lucas Gomes Mendes, a student at the Escola Adventista de Tubarão (EAT), in the interior of Santa Catarina, was one of the medalists at the International Mathematics Olympiad this year. He and the other recipients of the school unit were even welcomed by the state governor, Carlos Moisés da Silva, last month. And all this academic dedication and the support created by the school unit resulted in a wonderful result: an employment opportunity.

A programming company in the city discovered Mendes in the local press and wished to have him as a minor apprentice. “The math we teach at the school is a basis for diverse applications in the everyday life of citizens, including systems programming. All this logical reasoning and expertise, applied in the international competition, draw attention”, comments Douglas Antunes, a mathematics professor at EAT.

Mendes' excitement is evidenced by the words for our report: “When I was invited to visit the company, I felt excited, happy, and anxious. I want to remain a dedicated student [and] continue to achieve the best grades. At work, I want to be a different apprentice; I want to be exemplary, dedicated, and really learn. Without the Adventist school, I wouldn't have all this knowledge. At school, I learned to be determined, organized, respectful, and disciplined, in addition to [gaining] knowledge. These are values ​​that I will take with me for a lifetime.”

“This is very rewarding because we want students to have a taste for math. When such a situation arises, we see the result being reaped. All of the school's efforts and knowledge taught in the classroom are recognized by the professional market”, adds Antunes. “Congratulations to Lucas and all our students for being dedicated to their studies. It's worth studying. The focus of Adventist Education is this: to form citizens prepared for life”, reinforces Daiane Pinheiro, a teacher and the director of EAT.

Now, Mendes waits for the time allowed by the Ministry of Labor to start his activity as a young apprentice.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site