PRKOSNE I GENIJALNE

Event Title: Defiant and Brilliant: Women Who Wrote History

Organization: First Gymnasium Sarajevo

Description: As the oldest secondary school in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the First Gymnasium Sarajevo (founded in 1879) is proud to join the global "May 12" initiative. This project is a special collaboration between our students and their mentors, born out of a desire to honor the women who shaped mathematics.

The core of the exhibition was curated by our II-f grade students, working under the guidance of math professor Adha Arapović. Their work celebrates the intellectual power and the often-rebellious spirit of women throughout history. The opening ceremony itself was designed and will be led by students from the III-b grade, mentored by Professor Lejla Mutić. Notably, Professor Mutić also oversaw the research and gathering of original archival materials regarding Vera Šnajder—a project completed in collaboration with student Emina Sejfić to bring our school's own history to life.

The Essence of the Event: This isn't just a display of facts and dates. We wanted to create a journey through centuries of courage, set right here in the authentic atmosphere of our School Museum. By using archival documents and student-led research, the exhibition sends a clear message about how vital women have been to the progress of science. Having our students lead the ceremony further highlights how the younger generation can keep the memory alive of those who broke barriers and built the foundations of the world we live in today.

The Six Faces of Freedom: Our exhibition shines a light on six visionaries who proved that science has no borders:

• Ada Lovelace – the “poetical scientist” and the world’s first programmer.
• Sophie Germain – a genius who earned the admiration of the greatest minds while writing under a male pseudonym.
• Emmy Noether – the architect of symmetry, described by Einstein as a creative genius.
• Katherine Johnson – the “human computer” whose calculations were essential for the Moon landing.
• Maryam Mirzakhani – the artist of “magic surfaces” who conquered the Everest of mathematics.
• Vera Šnajder – a true Sarajevo icon and our alumna (Class of 1922) who pioneered modern mathematics in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Goal: Through these “Faces of Freedom,” we hope to show our community that mathematics is much more than numbers—it has a human face of defiance, brilliance, and true freedom.