Master Mind
S. Arunasree, a Class III student of PSG Children’s school, is a budding mathematician, a bit of an environmentalist and also a grandmaster in the making. Her latest claim to fame, however, is that she has topped the school and the city in the International Maths Olympiad conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation earlier this year. The 95-minute examination which contained scores of questions involving addition, subtraction, division and fractions was ‘easy’ for Arunasree. She would take part in the competition this year too, her parents say. Her enthusiasm is almost contagious. “But, you know what I love the most?” she asks and without waiting for a reply says, “Chess.” Encouraged by her grandmother, Arunasree started playing chess at a very young age and her interest in the game grew along with her. She got herself enrolled in the Chess Academy where she spends all her evenings. Despite her devotion to chess, Arunasree does not compromise on her time with her friends and outdoor games. She is first in class and prefers to complete her homework at school. “I want to become an IAS officer. But, I also want to play chess. I will become a Grandmaster some day,” she adds. She was selected second in Coimbatore in the Divyodaya Young Genius Awards.
She won the Yuva Bharathi Award set up by the Yuva Bharathi Foundation Award, Madurai, last year. She was also the 11th rank holder in the State-level Velammal Science Talent Examination. She is now busy preparing for Macmillan and Asset examinations too. Her greatest desire is to meet former President of India, A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. Just when she got up to leave, Arunasree adds, “I wish people stop cutting trees. Avanashi Road used to look so beautiful with all the trees.”
