Shermya Parkere poses with Principal Rosa Hernandez (L) and teacher Olivia Holub

Shermya Parkere, a seventh-grader at Burbank Middle School, is one of one two middle-school students in the State of Texas to win a Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) scholarship to attend the Summer Mathematics Institute (SMI).

The program is sponsored by the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas. Shermya will live on the college campus and meet other gifted students who share her passion for mathematics. She learned of the opportunity to apply for the scholarship from her math teacher, Olivia Holub.

“I was really surprised and excited,” said Shermya, who plans to pursue a medical career as an obstetrician. “This experience will look great on my applications next year, when I apply to high schools.”

The institute is a three-week residential program with an intense focus on mathematics. Students enroll in a single class and have the opportunity to complete one year of high school mathematics in this self-paced program.

Thanks to the generosity of Summer Mathematics Institute, the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT) has awarded the full scholarships to the SMI program, valued at $2,250.