This year’s Douglas Young Tournament (DYT) brought together a vibrant community of 567 participants from 29 schools across five continents, representing 21 different countries. Beyond its competitive nature, the event carried a profound purpose: the funds raised from participation fees and on-site activities were donated to the Volunteers Foundation, supporting Project Pamoja—an initiative that truly reflects the values of global education and collaboration.
For H-FARM International School, the 2024 DYT was a moment of immense pride and inspiration. A team of five talented DP students—Francesca De Stefani, Nina Hattersley, Lilian Piovesana, Egor Agostini, and Fotios Vaitsopoulos—participated in the second and final phase of this prestigious competition, held at Ikast-Brande Gymnasium in Ikast, Denmark. Competing among 20 IB schools from across the globe, our students embodied the very essence of hard work, resilience, and excellence.
We are thrilled to share their remarkable achievements:
- 🥉 1st Place: Fotios Vaitsopoulos in Mathematics
- 🥈 2nd Place: Egor Agostini in Sciences
- 🥇 3rd Place: Francesca De Stefani in Humanities
Their success is a testament not only to their exceptional abilities but also to the unwavering commitment and collaborative spirit that define our school community. A special acknowledgment goes to Filippo Carraro, whose leadership and vision were instrumental in bringing this opportunity to life. As a student ambassador, Filippo played a vital role in coordinating H-FARM’s participation and supporting his peers throughout the journey.
Filippo Carraro, Student ambassador
“It’s been an incredible honor to help organize the tournament and celebrate the achievements of our school at the Douglas Young Tournament. As the student ambassador, I had the privilege of launching and spearheading this project in our school, coordinating the participation of our five first-round finalists and supporting them through the second round at the international level in Ikast, Denmark.”
Fotios Vaitsopoulos: 1st Place in Mathematics
Fotios Vaitsopoulos, a DP1 student from Greece studying Mathematics AA HL, captivated the judges with his outstanding presentation and advanced mathematical approach. Reflecting on his journey, Fotios described the challenges and triumphs that defined his experience:
“The competition consisted of two phases. The first phase was a qualifying test to identify the top candidates from each school. I achieved the highest score across all participating students in my school, earning a spot in the second round in Denmark.
The second phase was more demanding. The prompt, ‘In the Club…’, required creativity and mathematical relevance. After brainstorming various ideas—such as generating ID numbers or optimizing club spaces—I eventually focused on transforming graphs of functions, a topic we studied this year.
What truly excited me was pushing the boundaries of simple transformations like translations and stretches. I explored advanced concepts, deriving formulas for reflections along lines of the form y = mx + c and rotations of functions around the origin. It took an evening of dedication to finalize the results, and I felt immense satisfaction when the presentation came together.
On the day of the presentation, I delivered with clarity and confidence, relying on visuals and concise explanations. My heart raced during the awards ceremony, and when my name was announced as the 1st prize winner, I was overwhelmed with joy.
This experience was about more than winning. I had the opportunity to connect with students from all over the world, learn from their perspectives, and explore Denmark, including an unforgettable visit to the LEGO House in Billund. It was truly a rewarding journey that improved my mathematical skills, public speaking, and confidence.”
Egor Agostini : 2nd place in Science
Egor Agostini’s success in the Science category further highlighted the extraordinary talent of H-FARM students.
“Presenting my work on the role of Oxytocin in the formation of trust was an incredible experience: despite the nerves, I managed to explain how this neurotransmitter influences human connections, impressing the judges with my research.
The journey was memorable not only for the result but also for the discussions with students from around the world and the strong sense of community that developed. This experience pushed me beyond my limits, igniting a desire to keep growing. Now, I can’t wait to participate again and aim for first place”.
Francesca De Stefani: 3rd place in Humanities
For Francesca De Stefani, earning 3rd place in Humanities was only part of the reward. Sharing her reflections, she described the personal and academic growth sparked by the DYT:
“Presenting my idea at the Douglas Young Tournament was an incredible experience. Standing in front of the judges, I shared my vision for a professional networking platform tailored for school communities. I felt a mix of nerves and excitement as I explained how this platform could transform the way parents, teachers, and students connect and collaborate.
Beyond the competition, what made this journey so memorable was connecting with other participants and learning from their ideas. The tournament pushed me to think critically, apply business concepts, and present with confidence. It was an unforgettable experience that I will carry with me.”
More Than a Competition
The Douglas Young Tournament was not just about trophies and rankings. It was an opportunity for students to challenge themselves, think innovatively, and connect with peers from around the globe. The event provided a platform to exchange ideas, broaden perspectives, and cultivate skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
As a school, we are incredibly proud of Francesca, Nina, Lilian, Egor, and Fotios for their accomplishments. Their success serves as an inspiration to the entire H-FARM community, reminding us of what can be achieved through dedication, teamwork, and passion for learning.
A heartfelt congratulations to all our students, and a special thank you to Filippo Carraro for his exceptional leadership. The Douglas Young Tournament has been a celebration of global collaboration, academic excellence, and personal growth—values that lie at the heart of H-FARM International School.
Let’s continue to celebrate their success and take inspiration from this extraordinary achievement!
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