Maryam Mirzakhani

Hello, my name is Maryam Mirzakhani. I was born in a city called Tehran in Iran on May 3rd, 1977. When I was a little girl, I loved reading books more than anything. I would get lost in stories and dreamed that one day I would become a writer and create my own adventures on paper. But one day, my big brother showed me a math problem that was really interesting. It wasn't like the boring math I knew from school. It felt like a special kind of puzzle, almost like a story told with numbers. That puzzle sparked my curiosity and made me wonder if math could be fun after all.

When I was in school, I didn't think I was very good at math at first. It seemed hard, and I wasn't sure I liked it. But I decided not to give up. I soon discovered that math wasn't just about numbers; it was like being an explorer in a new world full of shapes and patterns. I loved to draw doodles and pictures all over my papers to help me see the problems in a new way and figure out the answers. My love for exploring math puzzles grew bigger and bigger. I even got to compete in a big math competition called the International Mathematical Olympiad. I was so excited when I won a gold medal in 1994, and then I won another one in 1995. It made me feel so proud and showed me that I could do amazing things.

To keep learning, I moved to America for college. In 2004, I earned my PhD from a famous school called Harvard University. After that, I became a professor at another great school, Stanford University. Being a professor was wonderful because I got to think about math all day. My work was like being a detective for special kinds of shapes. Imagine the twisty, curvy surface of a pretzel or a donut—I studied shapes like those. Then, in 2014, something amazing happened. I received a very special award called the Fields Medal, which is one of the biggest prizes in mathematics. I was so happy because I was the very first woman ever to win it. I hoped it would show other girls that they could be great at math, too.

My life was full of curiosity and the joy of discovery. I loved asking questions and finding new ways to look at the world. I lived to be 40 years old. Today, people remember me as an explorer who found beauty in numbers and shapes. I hope my story encourages everyone to stay curious, ask big questions, and remember that with a little imagination, you can solve any puzzle you put your mind to.