Get to know Kiefer Maverick Pasion, a Math genius
KIEFER MAVERICK PASION – The son of a tricycle driver, who is a math genius, is set to join an international math Olympiad.
The ten-year-old Grade V student at Nabua Central Pilot School in Camarines Sur, is one of those who bagged a gold medal in the recently held online Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (Big Bay Bei) last March 25, 2024. Because of his victory, Kiefer has qualified to compete in the upcoming Battle of the Gold of the World International Math Olympiad in Shenzhen, China, in January 2025.
When asked how he survived the very challenging 90-minute online math competition, Kiefer admitted that there were times he thought he had no chance of winning. But he was determined to win and even quoted Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn, “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says I’m possible.”
Kiefer’s interest in numbers started when he was only in kindergarten. He started participating in math competitions when he reached Grade 3. He first won a bronze medal in April 2022 in the Heat Round of the Philippine International Mathematical Olympiad.
In October 2022, he also won a bronze medal in the American Mathematics Olympiad and a silver medal in the Heat Round of the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad. By November 2022, he bagged a silver medal in the Heat Round of the Hong Kong International Science Olympiad, and brought home a bronze medal in the Heat Round of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Big Bay Bei) in December 2022.
In 2023, Kiefer collected 13 more medals from various national and international mathematical competitions. He will also compete in the annual Philippine Mathematical Olympiad on April 14; as well as in the Final Round of the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad on April 28; and in the Hong Kong International Mathematical Olympiad on May 26.
Kiefer Maverick Pasion is the youngest of three siblings. His father is a tricycle driver, and his mother is a plain housewife. His sister Russle Joy, a civil engineer, is the one who nurtured his math skills. He also credited his NCPS coach, Melvin Federis, as a significant factor in his math skills.
But despite being a math genius and bringing pride to the Philippines and his school, Kiefer is just an ordinary child. Like other students, he also experiences the difficulty of dividing his time.
