![A group of students pose for a photo]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1711642384/usmk12org/bqptzsozmznxlfengshr/20240111_120609_WR.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1711642384/usmk12org/bqptzsozmznxlfengshr/20240111_120609_WR.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1711642384/usmk12org/bqptzsozmznxlfengshr/20240111_120609_WR.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1711642384/usmk12org/bqptzsozmznxlfengshr/20240111_120609_WR.jpg","width":1000}])
For the second year in a row, Sami El-Hajjar ’27 earned first place at the Opportunity Conference hosted by Milwaukee School of Engineering, with a perfect score. He competed on a team with eight students from University School of Milwaukee. The team, which consisted of El-Hajjar and Alex Chen ’25, Anand George ’26, Anjali George ’24, Mairin Jarvis-Castellano ’25, Iris Liu ’28, Aidan Wang ’24, and Angela Wang ’26, finished in third place.
“Initially, Sami didn’t have a perfect score. But then the judges realized that two of their answer key solutions were wrong, and Sami had it right,” said Upper School Math Teacher Michael Bartl. The competition focused on math, with events in algebra, geometry, advanced math, and problem solving.
In addition, Anjali George, Angela Wang, and El-Hajjar both took the American Mathematics Competitions in February and qualified to take the national American Invitational Mathematics Exam. Wang competed in her age group (grades 9 and 10) and George and El-Hajjar participated in the older age group (grades 11 and 12), with El-Hajjar being in 9th grade. Wang’s finish qualified her for the next round, the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad, which she completed in March.
Last but not least, USM won the Wisconsin Math League as a team for the second year in a row, with El-Hajjar earning a perfect score—the only one in the state to do so.