A gifted Christchurch student has been accepted into one of the world’s most competitive mathematics camps, adding to an already impressive academic record.
Christ’s College Year 12 student JJ Wada, 16, has been selected for the Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC), a prestigious four-week residential programme in California that attracts just 40 students globally each year.
JJ will spend July immersed in abstract algebra and number theory, joining like-minded students for intensive lectures, guided research, and collaborative problem solving at Stanford’s renowned campus.
“I applied for SUMaC last year, hoping that I might have a chance to win a place,” he said. “I was travelling with my family in the car when I got a notification to say the application portal had been updated. It was such a shock when I logged in to see that the dream had become a reality.”
JJ described the application process as “intense,” involving multiple short essays and an entrance exam, but said he was excited to explore the “current lines of mathematical research, historical development of important areas of mathematics, and applications across scientific disciplines.”
“Even the application process was intense… I cannot wait to work alongside like-minded students and delve deeper into my passion for all things Mathematics,” he said.
SUMaC is designed for students who demonstrate exceptional interest and talent in pure mathematics. For JJ, it marks another major step in an academic journey that has seen success across several international competitions.
In 2024, he gained a Bronze Award in the Maths Olympiad, a High Distinction in both the international KSF and the Australian Mathematics Competition, and a Distinction in the Otago Mathematics Competition. He also achieved an A grade in the CIE AS Level Mathematics exam.
His team also took out the Year 10 title at the 2023 Cantamath competition with a perfect score, alongside teammates Ericsson Ye, Charlie de Costobadie, and Josh Shannahan.
JJ’s talents extend beyond maths. He was shortlisted for the prestigious John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition in 2023, which is supported by Oxford and Princeton universities and received more than 19,000 entries.
Back in Year 9, JJ placed first in New Zealand in the KIWI Competitions for Science and Mathematics.
