Ionu\u021b Stan, a 12th grade student at the International Informatics High School in Bucharest, is already a well-known name among the elite of international Olympians: he has won only gold medals at all the international mathematics and physics Olympiads in which he has participated. Ionu\u021b Stan recently joined the campaign \u2018100 Youngsters for Romania's Development\u2019, initiated by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania. For Ionu\u021b Stan, gold is not just a medal, but a way to honour Romania at every competition.<\/p>\n
\u201e\u2018In the context of Olympic-style competitions, I don't think my greatest achievement is necessarily a single competition, but rather the fact that I have never raised the Romanian flag with a medal that wasn't gold.<\/em>\u2019 says Ionu\u021b Stan.<\/p>\n What is impressive about Ionu\u021b Stan is not only his consistent performance, but also its perfection. No international competition in which he has represented Romania has ended with anything other than a gold medal. Here are just a few of his remarkable achievements where he won gold medals: 2021 \u2013 JBMO Moldova; 2024 \u2013 APhO, Malaysia, EuPhO Georgia, IPhO Iran; 2025 \u2013 APhO Saudi Arabia and most recently \u2013 the European Physics Olympiad in Sofia, Bulgaria. In addition, he won the Special Prize in the category \u2018Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics\u2019 at the International Science and Engineering Fair 2024, held in Los Angeles \u2013 the largest scientific research competition for high school students in the world.<\/p>\n For Ionu\u021b Stan, there was no \u2018Newton moment\u2019 when he suddenly discovered his fascination for science. It was more of a natural progression, influenced by the example of his older sister, who was also an international chemistry Olympiad winner. The atmosphere at home was not one of pressure, but of inspiration, and his first steps in competitions, at the Euclid and LuminaMath contests, confirmed that the exact sciences are more than just a discipline: they are a form of joy and personal fulfilment.<\/p>\n Ionu\u021b Stan is currently preparing for his final high school competitions, including the International Physics Olympiad, which will take place in France. After graduation, he will go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he will study Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. But unlike many young people who plan their future along rigid lines, Ionu\u021b has adopted a mature and balanced philosophy:<\/p>\n