Join us in celebrating the people who make First in Math special.
An annual award given to the #1 Player First in Math player across all grades!
For the second year in a row, Josephine Nguyen is the #1 First In Math player in the nation, all grades! The St. Cecilia fifth-grader earned a record-breaking 51,456 Stickers, topping nearly 1.5 million competitors. Last year, she made history as the youngest-ever #1 player. Known for her independent work ethic, Josephine mastered even the toughest challenges, impressing her teacher with her problem-solving skills. She credits strategy, especially in ‘wheel’ games, for her success. Despite spending over 1,000 hours on math, her favorite subject is spelling. Along with her All Star Award and an Apple iPod, she gifted the iPod to her father for Father’s Day.
Players
Shangyu A Xu (CT) Anish Panchumarthy (GA) Christopher Liriano-Jimenez (IA) Erika Nguyen (OK) Mohammad Khalil (CA) Laura Stoleru (TX) Vijeta Ravankar (TX) Lawrence Mei (CA) Parker Oldham (NC)
Team Leaders
Mathew David Morse (CA) Carol A Lauck (PA) Linda Isherwood (PA)
Schools
Manatee Bay ES (FL) Sacred Heart School (PA) St Didacus School (CA) Bishop Mussio Ctl Jh School (OH) St Anthony School (CA) St Nicholas School (NJ) Baldi MS (PA) Children's School (SC) St.Gabriel's School (PA) Lewis Frasier MS (GA)
Top Educator Players
2013
A monthly award given to an educator who has been actively talking about math achievement on social media channels.
May
5th Grade Teacher, Clara Barton Elementary School Cherry Hill Public Schools, Cherry Hill, NJ
2022
April
4th Grade Teacher, Salisbury Elementary School Salisbury Township School District, Allentown, PA
2022
March
Principal, Eastport Elementary School Eastport-South Manor Central School District, NY
2022
February
5th Grade Teacher, Parliament Place Elementary School North Babylon School District, North Babylon, NY
2022
January
5th Grade Teacher, Donegan Elementary School Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, PA
2022
December
Principal, Marvine Elementary School Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, PA
2021
October
Point Pleasant ES Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Glen Burnie, MD
2021
September
2nd Grade Teacher, Mawbey Street School #1 Woodbridge Township SD, Woodbridge, NJ
2021
June
Baltimore County Public Schools, MD
2021
May
Assistant Principal, Bruce-Monroe ES DC Public Schools, Washington, DC
2021
April
5th grade teacher, Marvine Elementary Bethlehem Area School District, PA
2021
March
3rd grade math & science teacher, Fox Elementary Klein Independent School District, TX
2021
An annual award given to educators who exemplify Lola's spirit.
2025
A teacher at Clearview ES in the Bethlehem Area SD, Jeff Markham is the 2025 recipient of the Dr. Lola J. May Award. "I have always loved teaching math and First in Math is a great supplement to the curriculum. As I teach skills, students can work on that skill in class and at home with instant feedback. I wasn’t planning on playing this year, but two girls in my class started playing even before the first day of school. Their excitement motivated me to go for 10X Grand Champion status, which I achieved. You know that the program you are using is effective when both the students and the teacher motivate each other. I am very happy that my district uses First in Math"
Silver Medal
Bronze Medal
Dr. Lola J. May (1923-2007) was a noted mathematics educator, consultant, author and producer of audio-visual materials. A pioneer in mathematics education and an early proponent of the new math educational process, May was beloved by her students, and became a household name among mathematics educators.
