The flag of Ghana was raised high at the 2023 UCMAS International Competition, where a student of the RisingSun Montessori School Limited, Maame Korang Ansah-Obuobi, emerged as champion of the Category B (Elementary) contest.
She beat off stiff opposition from over 2,500 students across the world at the 30th edition of the UCMAS competition, which took place in Malaysia.
Apart from having the bragging rights, Miss Ansah-Obuobi's winning prize included a trophy.
Seven students from the same school also came third in Category A2. They were Emmanuelle Dede Mmesoma Ujam, Muhammad Hafiz Zakaria, Isabella Mensima Coleman and Aseda Obenewaa Asiamah.
Others were Michelle Yaa Asiedu, Bevin Adjobiri Chemel and Naeema Al-Meyao Abass.
The competition began on Wednesday, November 29 and ends today.
Miss Ansah-Obuobi's abilities in mental arithmetic, confidence, attentiveness, composure and abacus skills were exceptional on the global stage, demonstrating speed and accuracy in solving complex mathematical problems using the ancient art of the abacus.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Miss Ansah-Obuobi thanked her parents and teachers for their encouragement, stressing that the preparations for the competition were stressful and exhausting.
"I was very confident from the onset.
I was optimistic and I knew the name of my school and my country's flag would be lifted after this competition.
I want to use this opportunity to thank my parents for encouraging me.
"I also want to thank the management of RisingSun Montessori School Ltd, and most especially, my UCMAS instructor, Michael Asiedu, for helping me get this far.
May the Good Lord continue to bless us all," she said.
For his part, the Director of RisingSun Montessori, Patrick Acheampong, encouraged students and parents to take advantage of UCMAS.
He also commended Miss Ansah-Obuobi for a job well done and for putting the school and Ghana on the map.
"We are living our vision, which is a commitment to equip students from an early stage and prepare them for the job market.
We are proud of her and all the students who represented our school," he said.
UCMAS is a unique and scientifically-proven mental development programme designed for children to develop their cognitive skills.
It promotes foundational building blocks like concentration, observation, memory, imagination, comprehension, judgement, analysis, reasoning and self-confidence, core skills that inspire greater confidence and success in all things.