SAN ANTONIO – Math can take you to some pretty cool places in life, and for San Antonio 6th grader Camila Ramirez, it’s brought her courtside to Wednesday night’s Spurs game against Memphis.
Ramirez won the 2024 NBA Math Hoops Global Championships in New York City in June, and now she’s taking her talents overseas to Paris.
But first, she and her mom, Bianca Garza, needed a proper send-off from the Spurs, and that included a surprise visit with rookie Stephon Castle.
KSAT crews were there as Camila got to meet her favorite Spurs player.
Castle signed her Spurs jersey, and she received a going-away gift bag filled with a blanket for the flight, a passport holder and other goodies. C
amila told KSAT she had no clue she would get to meet Castle.
“I had no idea that was going to happen, not at all,” said Ramirez. “I just can’t believe this is happening.”
But mom does believe it after all the hard work and accomplishments.
“It comes so natural to her,” Bianca said. Besides academics, Bianca said Camila is “very artistic, the sweetest kid. She’s also very athletic. Good at anything she practices.”
Now it’s on to Paris where Camila will compete in the French math hoops challenge against competitors from overseas.
Camila said travelling to NYC and now Paris has allowed her to meet and interact with other students interested in math and athletics. She competed and beat thousands of other kids for this honor.
“All the kids have been really nice, and we’re all going through the same thing. It was nice to talk to them,” said Camila.
NBA Math Hoops delivers fundamental math and social-emotional learning through a basketball-themed board game in both physical and digital forms, a curriculum that builds math and social-emotional competencies, and a community program experience.
The program targets students in grades 4-8 who have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields, including girls, students of color, and students from low-income communities.
The NBA Math Hoops game features the real-life performance statistics and identities of all NBA and WNBA players,
But before she competes, Camila and her mom will also check out the sights and sounds of Paris and, of course, the Spurs games in Victor Wembanyama’s home city.
It’s now Bon Voyage to a young girl whose math skills are taking her places. Her new signed jersey will likely make the trip as well.
“I’m going to keep it forever,” Camila said.
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