La Jolla High School junior Sarah Herrmann, 15, received a bronze medal at the two-day China Girls Mathematical Olympiad in Shenzhen, China earlier this month.

"The medal really wasn't that important," she said. "It was a lot more fun to meet the people who like math."

To prepare for the competition, Herrmann and eight other girls from across the United States studied six hours a day during a math summer program.

The USA Mathematical Olympiad team was sponsored by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute located in Berkeley, California.

The institute said it's important for young girls to get inspired in math and science. The group said about 30 percent of math doctorates are earned by women.

Herrmann was taught early on about the importance of math by her parents.

"I think there a lot of challenges in the world and someone with good problem solving skills can tackle them," said her father Kurt Herrmann.

She's been involved in math competitions since middle school, and continues to attend a group called San Diego Math Circle at University of California, San Diego.

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