At 17, Adrian Hernandez Vega is already making his mark in the world of mathematics. The dual-enrolled Florida Polytechnic University student recently earned top honors at the 71st Florida State Science and Engineering Fair, an accomplishment he said reflects hard work and support from his mentors at Florida Poly.
Hernandez Vega won the Best in Fair Grand Award for mathematics and computational sciences, as well as first place in the division, during the event held in Lakeland, Florida. He will also compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona in May.
As a Best in Fair Ying Scholar, Hernandez Vega received a $1,000 award and the opportunity to display the fair’s traveling trophy for one year. He chose to showcase it at Florida Poly, crediting the University for providing him with the level of academic challenge he was seeking from an applied mathematics program.
Florida Poly has not typically hosted dual-enrollment students but made an exception for the high-achieving student.
“I’m grateful to the department for accepting me,” said Hernandez Vega, who is homeschooled.
The 11th grader’s science fair project centered on a complex mathematics problem that extended the work of French mathematician Marie-France Vignéras. The project built on a 1970s theorem by showing that the result also works in fractional cases and that those versions have a consistent format.
Although the project took months of intense work, including a section he eventually scrapped, the effort was worth it, he said.
“I feel like it wasn’t really work at all because it was something I liked,” he said.
Hernandez Vega said much of the academic growth that made his win possible stemmed from the faculty members he has worked with at Florida Poly, including Dr. Dipali Swain and Dr. Michael Pilla, assistant professors in the Department of Applied Mathematics, and Dr. Aaron Bardall, a senior instructor in the department.
Swain said Hernandez Vega has shown remarkable curiosity, maturity and persistence in her abstract algebra course, which is typically taken by juniors and seniors at the University.
“He is one of the most intellectually curious and motivated students I have had the pleasure of teaching,” Swain said. “He is genuinely excited by new and unfamiliar mathematical ideas and frequently visits office hours to explore topics beyond the standard coursework.”
The student also credited the support of Polk County Schools curriculum specialist Dr. Karrie Wikman, who helped guide him through years of science fair work, and senior director of acceleration and innovation Ann Everett, who worked to make his dual enrollment possible.
“Adrian has really done phenomenal things, and we are grateful to Florida Poly for working with him and challenging him,” Wikman said. “I can’t even put into words how proud everyone is.”
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