INDUCTEE #24: RUIACEJoined: February 16, 2016
Member #: 125,302
Posts (26/01/19): 8,034 (at time of writing)
Respect (26/01/19): +2,072 (at time of writing)
RuiAce. The man, the myth, the legend. Let me begin with some sheer statistics.
At time of writing, Rui has invested some 5,500 hours into the ATAR Notes Forums - the
third-most of all time. That alone is a truly incredible statistic, but when you add in the countless hours Rui has put into ATAR Notes in an offline capacity - community building, lecturing, tutoring, authoring - it really begins to paint a picture of just how important RuiAce has been for ATAR Notes.
Rui has posted on more than 8,000 occasions (seventh most of all time ATOW), and has accrued more than +2,000 respect (sixth most of all time ATOW). But numbers don't really do Rui justice, which is perhaps mildly humorous given his penchant for mathematics.
Rui came to ATAR Notes at a really crucial time - shortly after we first expanded into New South Wales. Jake, Jamon and Elyse, with Brenden, were leading that push, but Rui otherwise became the first major NSW user, and subsequently provided incredible value to the community. Thankfully for us, he is still providing that value today. Let's hear from Brenden.
Rui was the first major poster in ATAR Notes NSW that wasn’t previously engaged by ATAR Notes, and subsequently, his forum presence has been one of the single biggest drivers in the growth of our HSC community. We literally could not have done it without him. Rui, thanks for giving us so much - I hope you the universe gives you plenty in return.
As Caleb notes below, Rui was doing Rui things from the very start -
here is his first post on the forums.
After Rui's very first post on ATAR Notes, a moderator immediately commented 'RuiAce, looks like you'll be a big name on this community!'. After close to 700 pages of posts on ATAR Notes, this couldn't be more true. RuiAce has consistently sacrificed his own time to put in gargantuan amounts of effort in teaching and enriching a massive portion of the community the past few years, both online and offline, due to his position as a lecturer. It's difficult to pick a word that describes Rui perfectly, but if you need to pick, look no further than the second half of his username.
The moderator that replied at the time was none other than jakesilove, himself a member of the ATAR Notes Hall of Fame and still one of the leaders of our New South Wales team. Jake would know better than most Rui's impact both on and off the forums.
Rui is far more than an ATAR Notes user. Rui is an institution of AN. His support of tens of thousands of high school students, both academically and non-academically, is a testament to his generosity, kindness and selflessness. We all think of Rui as our Maths guru, but at the end of the day he permeates our community to the extent that I couldn't imagine it without him. Rui's heavy involvement with the online community is matched only by his dedication to the NSW team, in which he is a vital member and a valued tutor. I can't think of anyone more deserving to be inducted into the ATAR Notes Hall of Fame: wherever Rui goes in life, he can be proud in knowing that this community is imbued with his hard-work, his passion, and his skill.
I think it's testament to Rui that he has so heavily impacted not only (literally) thousands and thousands of students, but also the ATAR Notes team more broadly. jamonwindeyer, elysepopplewell, sudodds, beatroot - these are super familiar names to the ATAR Notes Community, and here is what each of them has said about Rui:
Less man and more force of nature, Rui is synonymous with ATAR Notes in almost every possible way. I distinctly remember his first post flashing up back in February 2016, and thinking, "This is a one off, no one could answer questions like this consistently." I sit here three years later, gladly corrected, and in awe of the sheer passion and dedication Rui has injected into this community. Now an integral part of our forum, our products, our lectures and our tutoring, Rui is quite literally a foundation of ATAR Notes HSC. It's been a humbling privilege to work with him for these past years - Even the Hall of Fame feels inadequate to truly encompass the impact he has had, and will continue to be felt on ATAR Notes for years.
Rui has been a very special addition to ATAR Notes right from the beginning. Rui's eagerness to help on the forums has always been contagious. Rui was so fast at answering questions that one now Economics lecturer, Isaac, made two accounts so he could ask and answer his own questions before Rui got to it, to get his own post count up (rigged).
Rui has never let anyone down, has always risen to the occasion, and has put more thought into bringing snacks to lectures than any of us. Rui is quick, clever, and kind. We adore Rui ❤.
What can be said about Rui that hasn’t already been said? The impact that Rui has had on this community is unparalleled, and I cannot think of someone more deserving of Honorary Moderator. Most will immediately jump to his incredible help on the maths threads, but for me, as a little humanities kid who didn’t study and inkling of maths in year 12, even I felt Rui’s impact. Today, I have had the pleasure to know Rui professionally, but more importantly as an amazing friend. He’s kind, passionate, totally dedicated to his students, and an ace banterer (pun intended) – thousands of students have benefitted from Rui’s wisdom, and I know that thousands more will benefit in the future.
Think we all know very well that Rui has helped grow and expand the NSW AN community due to his tremendous contributions in the HSC forums (specifically in the Maths sections), lectured thousands of MX2 students and most of all- his presence has certainly has made everyone truly welcome to the AN community. I don't just see Rui as a forum member nor a lecturer- I see him as a leader and a friend. He's always there to support you and to help you reach your goals. I know this for a fact as I constantly get tagged in memes about getting my P's. I know he wants me to reach that goal and that is a valuable trait to find in a friend. Rui always sends good vibes with his funny jokes and his wise insights of the world and I am so glad that his achievements will now be fully recognised in the AN Hall of Fame. I look back and try to figure out the first time that I interacted with Rui. I remember it was back in July 2017 lectures when I couldn't find my room for a lecture. He told me that I was actually in the right place and even scanned my ticket before I entered the room. It's crazy to think that so much has happened ever since then
Without Rui, the AN NSW (or the AN community rather) wouldn't be complete. Thank you Rui
And truer words really never have been said. We do adore Rui.
I think personally, there are a few things that stand out for me when I think about Rui and his impact on ATAR Notes. Perhaps most striking to me is this: Rui is determined. Very determined. You can see that everything he does, he wants to do well, whether that be writing a single post on the forums, writing an entire study guide, taking a lecture, or taking a class at TuteSmart.
Over the past couple of years I have observed Rui’s consistent contributions to pretty much all sections of ATAR Notes. As the main contender with Rui for ‘most online user’, I have absolutely nothing but the greatest respect for Rui and the amount of work he has contributed to this community. An example of his work which I have found truly fantastic is the contributions to the VCE Maths boards. Rui is not Victorian nor has done the VCE, yet takes the time to provide assistance in these boards. To maintain a consistent approach to helping others (which by the way we do for absolutely nothing in return) over a long period of time demonstrates Rui’s character and a willingness for others of all backgrounds to access the same opportunities he has had. I am proud as a teacher to have users like this supporting school students in this wonderful community, and proud to provide my endorsement for Rui. I hope that others strive to contribute in the same ways Rui has over this time and look forward to his further contributions as an Honorary Moderator.
Reading Rui's posts has taught me more Maths than any of my high school teachers were able to drill into my poor little humanities head. But more impressively, the books he's authored and contributed to for ATAR Notes have helped thousands of students across NSW truly understand Maths. From the 3U Topic Tests to the 4U Notes... (to some super secret new titles that will be launching this year!) Rui's mathematical wisdom and quite frankly intimidating LaTeX skills have well and truly earned him his fame amongst students, teachers, and the ATAR Notes community far and wide ❤️
There's no hyperbole here in what Aaron and Lauren are saying. THOUSANDS of students helped. Literally thousands - with more on the way.
But the thing is, that determination to be good, and those high standards, are combined with a sheer kindness almost paralleled. Rui really cares about people, which is a huge value of ATAR Notes more broadly. He is generous with his time, he is always willing to learn, and he is humble.
A common theme throughout the contributions above has been that Rui absolutely deserves his place in the ATAR Notes Hall of Fame, and I think this is very true. ATAR Notes has been so fortunate to have Rui's influence and presence over the last several years, and we're luckier still to still have that influence and presence.
Rui is the 24th inductee into the ATAR Notes Hall of Fame, and absolutely belongs. Please join me by saying
#ThanksRui. I'm going to leave the final words here to insanipi:
I remember back in 2016 (my year 12 year!) seeing some of Rui's insane math skills and thinking 'WOW, this person is going to be a legend'. Little did I know that my prediction was right. Over the past nearly three years, he has been such a whirlwind of impact- both on the forum and people he has come into contact with in real life, myself included. He has put a ton of effort into the forum and has often gone above and beyond, and I think that is something truly to be admired. Some people look at his over 8000 posts he has made and think 'what a madman', but I think he has been this: a true ace.
#ThanksRui