College and Olympiad Math Online Network

Out of the many things we do in life, there’s one thing that stands out. That one thing starts off as a hobby, and then becomes a passion.

Soon, it becomes a way of life. 

For the founder of COMON…and many other students across the globe, it was math. 

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The idea for COMON was inspired by the founder’s strong love for math competitions and desire to gain further knowledge through lectures that large organizations offered. However, living in Shanghai created a timezone challenge that prompted the expansion of this initiative. Despite the internet being well-known to construe bridges between boundaries, some will just remain unfixed…as even the most powerful of tools can only reach a certain capacity. Like anything else, they aren’t perfect. 

 

This is a shocking reality we must all eventually come to accept. Yet, despite such limitations, COMON was born with the mission of reaching out to a global audience,  to provide a self-paced syllabus for students, who share the same love for math…but also the struggle to balance numerous commitments, a shared sentiment. Truly, the ability to empathize with both passion and challenge, through the good and ugly, connects us and reinforces the importance of communities like COMON. 

 

And their efforts have been successful. From a single person…to now over 1100 members, driven with a mission to bridge the timezone and scheduling gap, to unite math lovers from across the globe.

 

That community has been built. And it’s still building. 

 

With learners from all around, COMON is growing day by day, with each new worksheet they post, with every new lesson. However, the team has greater hopes for COMON in the future, advocating for more participation from other parts of the world. 

 

It’s fascinating how a simple thing goes a long way. We hear this all the time, but it never seems to make sense until one sees it happen. Prior to hearing from the COMON team, I could have never imagined how something as simple as a worksheet can help millions of learners across the world to build the passion for math that they so strongly want to manifest. 

 

It makes me realize something profound: Big problems don’t always require big solutions.

 

COMON is a testament to the fact that we can bridge gaps, transcend limitations, and build a global community through our shared passions, our elastic loves. I hold great respect for their team, who took the lead to establish a community where anyone can share and cultivate their ever-growing passion for math, and more importantly, build relationships in a group of like-minded individuals…a family. 

 

Reflecting on how much COMON has grown, I’ve been reminded yet again that the most significant impact can come from the most unexpected of places. It isn’t always about gestures that appear grand at surface level, rather the commitment to a cause and the unwavering belief that a small ripple that can change the tide.

 

To see how a passion is making its way to changing the world, even in the slightest way is an impressive phenomenon that I cannot yet fathom. It reaffirms the belief that each one of us, by nurturing our passions and sharing them with the world, has the potential to contribute to a brighter, more interconnected future. As COMON continues to grow and inspire, it serves as a vivid example of the enduring power of our individual and collective passions, lighting the path toward positive change and a global community built on shared aspirations and boundless possibilities.