William Joshua King The Math Wizard

CEBU, Philippines - Mathematics seems to be the hardest of all the subjects in school. To some pupils, Mathematics is a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

The Philippine Elementary Mathematics Team topped the primary division in the recently-concluded 2013 Bulgaria International Mathematics Competition. They won 16 medals – a first for the Philippine Team – in the elementary level, besting 28 countries last June 30 to July 4 in Burgas City, Bulgaria.

The competition is called IMC (International Mathematics Competition) where for the elementary level, it is called EMIC (Elementary Mathematics International Contest) and IWYMIC (Invitational World Youth Mathematics Inter-City Competition) for highschool. IMC is an association of 13 countries that take turns in hosting the competition. This year, Bulgaria hosted the activity and invited other countries to send delegates to participate in the competition, thus gathering a total of 29 participating countries. Next year, the competition will be in Korea. Philippines hosted the IMC last 2009 in Iloilo City.

Ten-year-old William Joshua King, a Grade VI pupil of Bethany Christian School in Guadalupe, son of John King and Joy Christine King, is one of the members of the Philippine Team who travelled for 26 hours to Bulgaria to join the competition.

William is an inspiration to aspiring kids who also dream of representing the country to an international competition. William shares his love for Mathematics:

TF: When did your love of Math start?

WJK: It started when I was in Grade 3. When I joined MTG (Mathematics Trainers’ Guild) in Cebu for a 12-Saturday series of training, I was surprised that I passed.

TF: Who are your influences?

WJK: It’s my father. He said that if I will not study, nothing good will happen to me. I mean, I won’t get good fruits if I will not do my best.

TF: Who taught you Math?

WJK: My father. We just studied randomly. We studied the Math book we bought in a bookstore.

TF: What is your typical day like? What are the things you do during weekdays and weekends?

WJK: I go to school and go to my tutor. When I come home, I study with my Dad for 30 minutes to two, four to seven days a week. On weekends, I’m home. At night, sometimes I study or otherwise. It depends.

TF: How do you study?

WJK: I just read and read and then practice.

TF: What’s your highest grade in Math?

WJK: 92.

TF: How did you become a participant in the Math competition in Bulgaria?

WJK: I joined the elimination round that covered 12 Saturdays of training from August to February. I passed the final exam and advanced into the four-day intensive in-house training. I successfully survived the training and went to Manila for the one-month summer training.

TF: What was your reaction after hearing that you will be part of the Philippine Team to compete with other countries?

WJK: I was very honored when I heard that I was selected to join the Philippine Team to represent the country in the 2013 Bulgaria International Mathematics Contest. At the same time, I was scared because that was the most prestigious and difficult contest the MTG Philippines joined in the elementary division.

TF: Who were with you?

WJK: Other schools mostly from Manila, one from Davao and two/three from Zamboanga. We were 16 in the elementary division. I was also with my mom.

TF: How was the whole experience for you?

WJK: I feel blessed! God blessed us so much that the Philippine Team- Elementary Division won over-all champion in the contest.

TF: What was your motivation?

WJK: I want to get a scholarship for medicine so I won’t be a burden to my family and relatives.

TF: What do you want to be when you grow up?

WJK: I want to be a doctor. I want to help the sick and the needy.

TF: What’s your message to aspiring kids who dream of joining a math competition?

WJK: Study hard so that you can show your full potential. Psalms 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds  the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches  over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” Even though you study as hard as you can but don’t acknowledge God, nothing will come good out of it.

TF: What is your motto in life?

WJK: No pain, no gain. So, if you don’t study hard, you don’t gain anything. Also, you have to acknowledge God as what I said.

Shoutouts:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the handouts of MTG Philippines; the MTG teachers that gave all their efforts to train us; to the Bethany Christian School for teaching me how to walk in the Lord; my uncles and aunties for all the support and to my father and mother for the effort and support.

Mathematics is not the hardest subject after all. You need passion, perseverance and a lot of studying. Who knows you would land in the competition representing our country and bring pride to all Filipinos? William King is just one of the thousand kids who dream to excel in their own little ways. So take the challenge! Remember, it’s now or never.

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