When Mathematics Becomes a Puzzle That Never Grows Boring for Leandra

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com—For some people, Mathematics may feel like a long corridor filled with numbers, formulas, and calculations that never seem to reach the end. But for Leandra, numbers hold something else entirely: a puzzle.

There is a certain satisfaction in watching a problem that once seemed complicated slowly reveal its answer. Like a puzzle piece finally falling into the right place, the solution brings both relief and delight.

Leandra, an 11th-grade student at SMA Cikal Amri Setu, has known that feeling since she was young. Long before she began competing in Mathematics competitions at the international level, she was already familiar with puzzles and games that demanded memory, focus, and attention to detail.

“Since I was little, I’ve always enjoyed puzzles and memory games. I feel that those games greatly influenced my love for Mathematics because they challenged me to think critically and solve problems in different ways,” Leandra said.

For her, a Mathematics problem is much like a puzzle waiting for someone to find the way out.

“I feel that Mathematics problems are like puzzles waiting to be solved, and that’s what makes me enjoy Mathematics,” she added.

That fascination eventually grew into something more serious. From simply playing games and solving puzzles, Leandra began discovering a world that kept her curiosity alive.

Algebra and the Art of Finding a Way

Among the many branches of Mathematics, Algebra is the one she enjoys most. To others, equations and symbols may look like a confusing string of signs. But for Leandra, they are where hidden patterns wait to be discovered.

“I like Algebra the most because it feels like solving a puzzle. Every equation has a pattern and a logical path to the answer,” she said.

For Leandra, therefore, Mathematics is not simply about calculating. It is about understanding the relationships between elements, identifying patterns, and then following a logical path toward an answer.

That perspective has taken her further. She began entering various Mathematics competitions, not simply to pursue medals, but to test how far she could push her thinking when faced with problems she had never encountered before.

From 2025 through July 2026, Leandra participated in six international Mathematics competitions.

Some of them resulted in bronze medals, including the Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad, Hong Kong International Math Olympiad, and International Applied Mathematic Olympiad. She also received the School Medal & Certificate of Distinction 2026 in The Cayley Contest 2026.

Yet when asked what all those achievements mean to her, Leandra does not immediately speak of winning.

“Competitions are an opportunity to challenge myself, strengthen my problem-solving skills, and learn new ways of thinking, both from the problems presented and from the people I meet,” she said.

For her, every competition brings a different lesson. Some problems teach her the importance of precision, some situations test her time management, while others place her under pressure and teach her to remain calm.

“In the end, for me, competitions are more about the process of personal growth than simply being a measure of success,” Leandra said.

From Loving Mathematics to Helping Others Love It Too

Her love for Mathematics, it turns out, did not make Leandra want to keep that joy to herself.

She went on to initiate SetuInfinity, a Mathematics club built around a simple idea: learning Mathematics does not always have to feel intimidating.

Within the club, Mathematics is brought closer to curiosity. Problems are not presented as walls to be conquered, but as doors leading to new possibilities.

“I started a Mathematics club called SetuInfinity because I wanted to help people who think Mathematics is difficult and intimidating,” Leandra said.

She believes the way people perceive Mathematics can change when they discover the right way to learn it. “I believe Mathematics can be fun when it is taught in an engaging and easy-to-understand way,” she added.

SetuInfinity has since grown to include tutoring sessions for elementary and junior high school students. Through these sessions, Leandra hopes to create a learning environment where children feel comfortable asking questions, including when they do not yet understand something.

“My hope is that they can learn comfortably, ask questions freely, and build confidence in Mathematics,” she said.

There is something compelling about Leandra’s journey. She has not stopped at mastering the art of solving problems. She has begun thinking about how the joy she found in Mathematics can be passed on to others.

Because in the end, knowledge may become more meaningful when it does not remain inside one person’s mind, but travels from one person to another.

Finding New Challenges

For Leandra, her journey in the world of Mathematics is far from over. Every new problem is an invitation to become curious again. Every competition is a space to test her limits. And every difficulty is an opportunity to discover a way of thinking she has never tried before.

She understands that ability does not grow in a single sitting. Behind it lies a long process: trying, making mistakes, trying again, and eventually finding the answer.

That is why she chooses to keep challenging herself. “I am always committed to challenging myself by solving difficult problems and deepening my understanding of Mathematics,” Leandra said.

Even when she enters competitions, winning is not the only goal she carries with her. “Even when I compete, my priority is not winning, but becoming a better version of myself.”

Perhaps that is what makes Leandra’s journey more than just the story of a student collecting Mathematics awards. Behind the medals and certificates is a teenager who has found joy in something that may seem complicated to others. She has discovered that numbers can tell stories through patterns, that equations have a path toward an answer, and that difficulty does not always mean something to be avoided.

Sometimes, difficulty is simply a puzzle that makes us want to keep searching. And for Leandra, perhaps that journey has only just begun.