Every November, the Mu Alpha Theta (math) honor society competes in the American Math Competition (AMC). Students must master algebra, geometry, number theory and more. They solve 25 problems in 40-75 minutes and are awarded based on accuracy.
Lai Wei ‘27 has been part of Mu Alpha Theta and has been working tirelessly to compete in this competition. “It was a selective process and I had to practice a lot,” she said. She had to master many different forms of math to be able to compete.
Along with Wei, two other Xavier students qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (the AIME). They competed alongside Wei on February 5, 2026, but did not place as highly.
Angelica Nuam ‘27 scored in the top 25% in the nation and Natalee Shayeb-Leutz ‘27 also scored in the top 25%. Lai Wei scored in the top 5% of the nation and qualified to move on to the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO).
Wei credits her ability to achieve this distinction to teacher Adrienne Hestenes who guided her and kept track of her during the AIME. Hestenes moderates Xavier’s Mu Alpha Theta and every year helps club members prepare for competitions.
For personal reasons, Wei was not able to travel to compete at the USAMO, but Hestenes was proud of Wei for getting as far as she did. “Unfortunately, she was unable to attend. This is a huge achievement, and Xavier has never had a student qualify to move on to the USAMO,” Hestenes remarked.
