CT Senators, US Rep Go to Bat for Greenwich Student

It’s pretty commonplace for President Obama to invite championship sports teams to the White House for some national recognition.

So given that tradition, Connecticut’s two U.S. Senators and a Congressman are lobbying the POTUS to spread a little presidential love for the academic achievements of a group of six American teens — including a Greenwich High School junior.

On Monday, Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal of Greenwich along with U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, who lives in Cos Cob, called on Obama to invite the 2015 U.S. International Mathematical Olympiad Team – comprised of six high schoolers, including Michael Kural of Greenwich’s Riverside neighborhood – to the White House to celebrate their first place victory against 100 other countries at this year’s 56th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

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Michael, who also is a co-captain of Greenwich High School’s state championship math team, endured a yearlong series of regional, state and national math competitions to be selected to represent the United States at a weeklong international math competition held in Bucharest, Romania. The team beat out all of their international competitors.

Murphy, Blumenthal, and Himes noted that, “considering the White House’s efforts to promote STEM education and tradition of inviting championship-winning teams to Washington, the U.S. IMO team should be appropriately recognized by the White House for its achievement.”

Murphy, Blumenthal, and Himes wrote, “The entire country should be proud of the way the U.S. IMO team represented our country on an international stage; honoring them at the White House would appropriately recognize them and send a message about the value of academic achievement. While we feel the team deserves to visit the White House based on the merits of their win alone, we believe a visit would amplify the Whites House’s existing efforts to promote STEM education. We also believe that the tradition of bringing championship-winning teams to the White House to celebrate their achievement should include academic teams. Winning a prestigious international competition, whether in athletics or in academics, requires discipline, teamwork, dedication, and competitiveness, and the hard work required to achieve at such a level should be recognized. This team of competitors deserves significant recognition.”

No word yet on whether the White House will extend an invitation to Michael and his teammates.

What do you think? Should the team receive presidential honors? Tell us in the comments below.

Contributed photo: Michael Kural, fourth from the right, with the USA team and team leaders at Romanian Masters of Mathematics Competition.