Hi, I’m Sara Gupta, a Year 11 student in EIS-M from the UAE.

If you’re looking for competitions that you will genuinely enjoy and learn from, AlgoEd is definitely worth taking a look at. For my friend and me, the Cornell Undergraduate Research Magazine competition turned out to be one of the most rewarding and collaborative experiences I’ve ever had!

My classmate and I decided to team up for CURM, a decision that felt a bit unconventional at first — most competitions are individual, but teaming up gave us the space to combine our strengths. Our chosen topic? Neuroplasticity — the brain’s incredible power to rewire and adapt. From the concept of a malleable brain to the recovery after an injury, exploring this topic felt so interesting and never felt boring. Honestly, having the freedom to choose our own topic was the best part. By the end of this experience, I noticed how cool it was that despite having conducted our individual research, our work came together cohesively.

What started as excitement quickly turned into hard work. We spent weeks researching studies, debating how to explain complex ideas in a fun way, and formatting the magazine. We practised our delivery so much that the presentation felt more like storytelling than a school project.

When the results were announced, we were thrilled to learn we had placed first across the UAE and first runner-up in MENA + Africa! The key takeaway was how much we learned — about our topic, about working as a team, and about the process of creating something we were both proud of together.

Looking back, I regret not signing up for the competition faster and giving us even more time to prepare. I definitely recommend  AlgoEd to students because why not participate in competitions you’ll enjoy with your friends? Personally, I’m already looking forward to browsing for more competitions!

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