The AIS community is beaming with pride as we celebrate the incredible academic achievement of Khushvi Mehta (Grade 9) who has been awarded First Prize in the 2026 Hong Kong Mathematics Kangaroo Contest (HKMKC). This year’s contest saw 9,542 participants across different grade levels from schools across Hong Kong and Macau.
Competing in the Grade 9 | Year 10 Group category against 870 contestants, Khushvi secured a Top 5 ranking. Her score comfortably cleared the rigorous “First Prize” cut-off, a feat achieved by only a tiny percentage of participants.
The HKMKC is an international competition that moves beyond standard textbook math. It requires students to visualize complex problems and apply logical reasoning under strict time constraints. By earning a First Prize, Khushvi has demonstrated not only her mathematical fluency but also her ability to compete at the highest level of academic excellence in Hong Kong.
Khushvi’s success comes after several years of hard work, having participated in the Kangaroo Math Contest over the past four years. She is driven by a deep love for the subject and a clear vision for her future. With an eye toward a career in business and finance, Khushvi recognizes that these competitions are more than just awards—they are essential building blocks for her future college portfolio and professional career.
The path to First Prize wasn’t without its hurdles. Like many students, Khushvi initially found complex Algebra concepts difficult to grasp. However, through constant practice and a “never give up” attitude, she transformed those challenges into strengths. Her father also shares that the support of the AIS High School faculty was a key ingredient in her success:
“Khushvi’s teachers have really helped a lot, even going out of the syllabus to get her ready for this established competition. Their guidance helped her overcome every challenge she faced.”
At AIS, we pride ourselves on a culture where teachers go the extra mile to support student ambitions. Khushvi’s achievement is a beautiful example of what happens when a student’s passion is met with dedicated mentorship and a rigorous academic environment.
Success in mathematics at AIS also starts early! We celebrate Bambi Fong (Grade 2), who also competed in the KCMKC and earned Third Prize in her grade level. Seeing our younger students like Bambi challenge themselves against thousands of participants territory-wide shows that the Confidence is thriving across all grade levels.
