This marks a before and after for Colombia
Santander students achieved unprecedented success at SASMO, outperforming regional competitors from Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina among 52 participating countries. Each student needs approximately 30-35 million pesos for the July 2026 trip; families have appealed to local government and launched fundraising campaigns.
- Over 30 Santander students qualified for SIMOC 2026 after winning medals at SASMO in April
- Each student needs 30-35 million pesos (approximately $8,000-$9,000 USD) for the July trip
- Colombia competed against 52 countries with 16,500+ students; outperformed Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina
- This is Colombia's first official delegation to SIMOC
Over 30 Colombian students from Santander won medals at international math competitions and qualified for Singapore's SIMOC 2026, but families struggle to raise 30-35 million pesos per student for travel costs.
In April, something shifted in Colombian mathematics. More than thirty students from Santander walked away from the SASMO competition—the Schools and Institutes Mathematics Olympiad held across Asia—with gold, silver, and bronze medals, along with honorable mentions. The competition took place at the Universidad Industrial de Santander, drawing students from fifty-two countries and territories: China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom. Colombia sent over sixteen thousand competitors from nearly two thousand schools. Among all of Latin America—Brazil, Mexico, Argentina—Santander's students stood out.
The achievement was historic. This was the first time Colombia fielded an official delegation to SASMO. The university, which had orchestrated the participation and secured roughly one hundred scholarships to expand access, called the results unprecedented in the country. The talent was real, the preparation was serious, and the recognition was international.
But medals do not pay for plane tickets. Thirty-five of these young mathematicians have now been invited to represent Colombia at the Singapore International Mathematics Olympiad Challenge in July 2026. Each student needs between thirty and thirty-five million pesos—roughly eight to nine thousand dollars—to cover airfare, accommodation, meals, and competition fees. For families in Santander, that is not a small sum. It is the difference between a dream realized and a dream deferred.
Sebastián Rodríguez Jiménez and his brother Felipe, both students at Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Bethlemitas, won gold and silver respectively. Their mother, Mary Jiménez, has already knocked on doors. She approached the mayor's office in Bucaramanga. She contacted the governor's office in Santander. So far, neither has responded. The boys have been preparing since last year. She wants them to go. She wants them to show other young people what is possible.
Danna Sofía Zaraza Morantes, a student at Gabriela Mistral, has taken a different route. Her father, Diego Armando Zaraza, has organized fundraising efforts at traffic lights across Bucaramanga, working with local citizens and foundations like Mica Sonrisas. "As parents, we want to see the fruit of our daughter's effort and dedication," he said. "This is a process that has taken years. We want to see her represent Bucaramanga and Colombia."
On Monday, some of these families were invited to present their case to the Bucaramanga city council, hoping for financial backing. The Universidad Industrial de Santander, which had championed their participation from the beginning, has framed this not as a local story but as a national one. The university stated plainly: this achievement marks a before and after for Colombia. For the first time, the country sent an official team. For the first time, Colombian students competed at this scale and won.
What happens next depends on whether the city and the department can find the resources—or whether these thirty young mathematicians will watch the July competition from home, their medals gathering dust on shelves, their preparation complete but their opportunity incomplete. The talent is undeniable. The question now is whether the country will invest in it.
Notable Quotes
As parents, we want to see the fruit of our daughter's effort and dedication. This is a process that has taken years. We want to see her represent Bucaramanga and Colombia.— Diego Armando Zaraza, father of competing student Danna Sofía Zaraza Morantes
This logro marks a before and after for Colombia, which for the first time participated with an official delegation.— Universidad Industrial de Santander
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does this moment matter so much? They won medals. Isn't that enough?
The medals are proof of what they can do. But the competition in Singapore is where they prove it to themselves—and to the world. It's the difference between being the best in your region and knowing you can stand with the best globally.
Thirty-five million pesos per student. That's a real barrier. Why hasn't the government stepped in?
That's the question the families are asking too. This is Colombia's first official delegation to this particular olympiad. There's no precedent, no budget line item. The government hasn't said no—they just haven't said yes yet.
What does it cost the country if these kids don't go?
You lose the momentum. You lose the message to other students that this is possible. And you tell thirty talented young people that their achievement has a ceiling.
The university secured scholarships for the initial competition. Why not for this?
SASMO gave out one hundred scholarships total. The university managed most of them. But SIMOC is different—it's a smaller, more exclusive event. There's no scholarship pool waiting.
So it comes down to local government?
It comes down to whether Bucaramanga and Santander see this as an investment or an expense. Right now, families are fundraising at traffic lights. That tells you something about how it's being treated.