So Proud of Her...

The trophy's size is in proportion to the amount of brain power it takes to win this kind of award.

Madi has made us proud around here. Last weekend she and 3 of her classmates competed in the "Future Problem Solving" competition for the State of Utah. This means that they spent two + hours in a room at Westminster college figuring out how to solve one aspect of the 'water quality' debate. They had no idea which piece of this large problem they would be asked to address, and so for weeks now they've been meeting at lunch time and after school (with other FPS teams from their school who qualified for the state competition) to study the vast array of information spanning the issue of water quality. They now know how to filter it, protect, use it and how to conserve the water of the world.

This is not a contest for the faint of heart. This takes reasoning, writing and persuasive abilities to match the intellects who are also competing.

At the awards ceremony (which I'd been tempted to skip) we sat and learned about the problems posed to the teams and how they went about solving them. Madi had mentioned something earlier in the day which I had understood to mean that her team had not performed as well as she had wanted. I sat comfortably in my seat and chatted with a stranger, mother from another school who was possibly moving to my neighborhood.

Then Madi elbowed me. I quieted and paid attention to her. She told me her team's number and I listened as they announced the winners.

SHoCKer! Her team WON! Madi WON!

Madi reacted well, huge smile, quick step up to the podium, pictures with her team mates. I was proud not only that she won, I was proud of the way she won too.

This honor means another competition; and international one, in Wisconsin that will take place this June. I hope I'm able to attend. I'm not sure I can send my Madi, mature as she is for her age, off on a plane with her classmates and her teacher and NOT with her mother close by.

She and I are currently 'competing' for how that scenario, that future problem, will be solved and resolved here at home....

Congratulations Madi, I am so proud of YOU!