Portland Jewish Academy’s Edwards wins Portland MathCounts contest

By Jewish Review

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Competing against 84 students from 14 public and private middle schools in the greater Portland metro area, Portland Jewish Academy eighth-grader Devin Edwards was the top scoring mathlete in the region’s MathCounts competition Feb. 8.

“I knew I was good at math,” said Edwards after his regional win. “Last year, I placed in the low 20s; I expected to be in the top 10 this year.”

While PJA’s team of Devin Edwards, Alex Meyer, Gilad Levi, Casey Davis, Francie Smith-Korn, Barkley Saltzman, Grace Richmond and Sam Rosenberg did not advance to state as a team, Edwards participated as the highest scorer in the Portland area.

In an interview before heading to the state competion to compete against winners from other regions, Edwards said, “I don’t think I’m going to get first, but I hope I’ll do better than 50 percent (of the students); that’s my goal.”

According to the MathCounts Web site, its mission is to increase enthusiasm for and enhance achievement in middle school mathematics. Under the leadership of the National Society of Professional Engineers, MathCounts provides students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering or math careers.

Edwards, who plans to attend Riverdale High School in the fall, said, “I’ll probably do a math or science job when I grow up—that’s as much as I’ve nailed down.”

At the start of each school year, the MathCounts Foundation provides a handbook to U.S. middle schools. At PJA, teacher Tracy Wygant used the materials in an afterschool class and in her seventh- and eighth-grade math classes.

Edwards said he attended the afterschool class every week in sixth and seventh grade and about every other week this year.