Student Voices: Zahra Hamza

March 12, 2026

Zahra is a second year student in the University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program and one of the recipients of the prestigious Callaghan-Lynch Scholarship! Zahra is a freshman at Lakeville North High School currently taking AP Precalculus in addition to UMTYMP courses. While Zahra is well rounded in many subjects, she loves math the most. “It feels like a language of symbols and numbers that explains physical phenomena and the wonders of our world in a clear and meaningful way.” 

In UMTYMP, students explore mathematics in greater depth than most middle and high school courses. UMTYMP students have a love of math and a desire to explore. Zahra enjoys the unique problem sets created by UMTYMP instructors. “They provide a level of depth and understanding that I have not found in any other textbooks, even those at higher levels. [...] The problem sets have given me a distinct problem-solving skill set that stands out compared to my peers, and I can confidently say that this growth is a direct result of my time in the program.”

Zahra enjoys finding novel solutions to difficult problems. “One of my favorite moments in UMTYMP was when we worked on a problem that could be approached with two different diagrams. The more intuitive diagram was the one I found to be unsolvable, and my classmates joked that the only problems I couldn’t solve were the impossible ones. The correct solution came from the alternative diagram, and the whole experience reminded me that the more you learn, the more you realize how much there is still to discover.”

UMTYMP students strive to expand their mathematical knowledge outside of what is normally offered in school. After UMTYMP, Zahra’s wants to continue tackling complex challenges. Zahra aims to make positive contributions to the medical field. “Mathematics has already contributed to major breakthroughs in medicine. I hope to play a role in continuing that progress.”