Tyrone Marhguy, the Rastafarian student who made headlines after nearly being denied admission to Achimota School in 2021 due to his dreadlocks, has won two major international math awards.
The 18-year-old was crowned the overall national top scorer in the 2023 American Mathematics Olympiad, earning the Gold medal after competing with over 150,000 students worldwide. He also received the Silver award in the Vanda Science International Olympiad out of 38,000 participants.
Marhguy has now been officially inducted into the International Junior Honour Society for 2023 in recognition of his academic excellence.
The young math prodigy faced obstacles when Achimota School initially refused to admit him due to his dreadlocks, claiming it went against school rules. After a prolonged legal battle and public outcry, Marhguy was granted admission and excelled in his studies.
The event took place at the Chartered Institute of Bankers Hall in Accra on December 29, 2023.
The awards were aimed at honouring students, teachers and deserving players in the educational space for the ATDP and Olympiad 2022 Academic Season.
“It’s amazing and interesting to have the awards, it was science and some other stuff. I feel excited to have this opportunity to experience non-Ghanaian problem-solving,” he told Citinewsroom.com.
Marhguy’s latest accomplishments have been praised by education leaders in Ghana as an inspiration to youth everywhere.
On Tuesday, December 19, Marhguy aced the West African Senior Secondary School Examinations (WASSCE), scoring an impressive 8 As.
His remarkable achievement comes after a challenging journey marked by a highly publicized school admission rejection that sparked a nationwide debate on discrimination and ultimately led to a landmark court victory for Marhguy and his fellow students.
The teenage math genius now aims to study Computer Engineering, with goals of representing Ghana at the International Math Olympiad next year.
