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.
September
Grade 4 Teacher, Towne Meadow Elementary School Carmel Clay School District, Carmel, IN
2018
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.
