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Lília Fernanda Sousa Costa, student of a public school and student of NES/Ufal, became the first Alagoan qualified for the PAGMO, an international mathematics olympiad that brings together talents from the Americas and takes Brazil to Colombia.
Alagoas has just placed a new name on the map of major competitions in the exact sciences. At 14 years old, Lília Fernanda Sousa Costa secured an unprecedented spot for the state in the Pan-American Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad, PAGMO 2026, and will represent Brazil in Colombia after joining the national women’s mathematics team. A public school student, she became the first Alagoan to reach this international level.
3rd place in the national selection process put Alagoas on Brazil’s team
Lília’s spot did not come by chance or as a symbolic invitation. She finished in 3rd place in the national selection process for the Brazilian team for PAGMO 2026, a competition that brought together the 40 best students in the country based mainly on the most recent results of the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad, as well as other significant performances, such as OBMEP and Jacob Palis.
The tests were conducted between February and March, and only four names emerged from this selection to represent Brazil in Colombia.
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Two consecutive gold medals made the student a reference in the state
The international qualification came on the heels of a sequence that had already placed her name among the greatest highlights of school mathematics in Alagoas.
In 2025, Lília became the first Alagoan student to win two consecutive gold medals at OBMEP.
In the same year, she also won her second consecutive gold at the Alagoan Mathematics Olympiad, with the highest score at the level corresponding to the 8th and 9th grades of Elementary School.
This history gains even more weight when looking at the size of the competition. In the 2024 edition of OBMEP, Alagoas set a record with nine gold medals, and Lília was among the central names of this result.
She also became only the third student from the Alagoan state network to win a national gold in the history of the olympiad.
Public school, interior of Alagoas, and a demanding preparation routine
At 14 years old, Lília is in the 9th grade, in Arapiraca, and lives in Limoeiro de Anadia, in the Alagoan Agreste.
As the daughter of public servants, she was early surrounded by encouragement at home and by a network of teachers who helped push her performance to another level.
Professor Messias Silva reported that the assistance has become individualized in the last two years, with weekly lists, constant motivation, and access to his private library, stocked with books from SBM and IMPA.
The NES/Ufal got on track and accelerated the rise even more
Lília’s journey also intersects with a project that has been changing the game in exact sciences in Alagoas.
She is part of NES/Ufal, a program linked to the Mathematics Institute of the university that works with advanced training in mathematics, programming, data science, and related areas.
The student herself stated that NES was fundamental for her development and highlighted the quality of the classes and the teaching methods.
The impact of this project is evident in what it has built over the past few years. NES is free, lasts three years, and was created to train talents in exact sciences, operating in more than 20 cities in Alagoas and also supporting low-income students, including provisions for scholarships for staying.
In 2025, the program also won 2nd place in the USP Social Impact Award in the Quality Education category, reinforcing the strength of the initiative in the state.
The Northeast dominated the team and gave the Brazilian selection a new look
The Brazilian team for PAGMO 2026 also brought a noteworthy detail. Of the four students chosen to represent the country, three are from the Northeast: Lília from Alagoas; Letícia Dias Damasceno from Ceará; and Júlia Barros Soares from Piauí. The fourth member is Marina Nogueira D’Emidio from São Paulo.
This selection highlights a region that has been stacking talent and results in scientific olympiads.
Now, what started in the classroom, with exercise lists and heavy training, will gain continental scale.
Lília arrives at PAGMO 2026 carrying an unprecedented mark for Alagoas, the weight of representing Brazil, and the strength of a journey that began in public school and crossed borders through mathematics.
Comment on what you think about this achievement and share this story with those who believe in the power of public education, mathematics, and the talents that emerge far from major centers.
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