Akamai Foundation To Award Top High School Math Students With $45,000 In College Scholarships

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Akamai Foundation today announced that it will award three high school math students with scholarships for their placement in the recent United States of America Mathematical Olympiad, the final invitational exam in a challenging series of MAA American Mathematics Competitions math exams. An awards ceremony for the forty-sixth USAMO winners will be held today, June 5th in Washington D.C. 

The Akamai Foundation, established in 2000 and funded solely through donations from Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) employees and individuals outside the company, promotes the pursuit of excellence in mathematics in grades K-12 to encourage the next generation of technology innovators. 

The Akamai Foundation will present Akamai Scholarships to the top three winners of this year's competition, the most prestigious math competition for high school students.  These top three scorers are among the most talented young mathematicians in North America. 

Andrew Gu from Allerdice High School, Pittsburgh, PA, tied for first place and will be awarded an Akamai Scholarship in the amount of $17,500.

Kada Williams from the U.S., who attends Radnoti Miklos Experimental Grammar School in Budapest, Hungary, tied for first place and will be awarded an Akamai Scholarship in the amount of $17,500.

Victor Rong from Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Canada, took third place and will be awarded an Akamai Scholarship in the amount of $10,000.

300,000 students participated in the MAA American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), organized by the Mathematical Association of America, culminating in the 46th Annual United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). The USAMO provides a means of identifying and encouraging the most creative mathematics students in North America with a six-question, nine-hour essay/proof examination conducted over two days. 

"We congratulate this year's winners.  The Akamai Foundation is proud to support students with emerging talent and skills in mathematics," said Dr. Tom Leighton, CEO and co-founder, Akamai.  "The Akamai Foundation is committed to helping promote mathematics education and to encouraging and inspiring the next generation of technology innovators and leaders."

"The Mathematical Association of America celebrates all the students who participated in the USAMO and the MAA American Mathematics Competitions this year, and special congratulations to the top students," said Michael Pearson, the executive director of the Mathematical Association of America.  "We are very grateful for the Akamai Foundation's continued support of these top math students, and for their leadership in the mathematical community."

About the MAA
The Mathematical Association of America is the world's largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We accelerate the understanding of our world through mathematics because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives. The MAA organizes the MAA American Mathematics Competitions to strengthen the mathematical capabilities of the next generation of problem solvers.

About the Akamai Foundation
The Akamai Foundation was established in 2000 and is funded solely by Akamai executives, its employees and individuals outside the company.  The Akamai Foundation is dedicated to excellence in mathematics, with the aim of promoting math's importance and encouraging America's next generation of technology innovators. 

Contacts:
Jeff Young
Media Relations
617-444-3913
[e-mail]|    

 --or--

Noelle Faris
The Akamai Foundation
617-444-4676
[e-mail]

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SOURCE Akamai Foundation

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