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!
The 2025 #1 Player — All Grades — in the First In Math® Online Program is Florence Kim! As the top player, she earned more than 108,000 Stickers on her way to the First In Math National All Star award. Florence is currently enrolled in fourth grade at Southern Highlands Preparatory School, a Spring Education Group school located in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a third-grader she placed third in the 2024 National competition among all grades. "Florence is a remarkable young lady," explains First In Math creator Robert Sun. "Not only is she the #1 player in the nation among more than one million active students, but she did it as a 10X Grand Champion! Her accomplishments show tremendous focus, dedication, and strategic thinking skills. Florence has mastered the crucial ingredient for long-term success — joyous perseverance." Florence enjoys math — and of course solving math problems! To achieve her First in Math Championship goal, she decided to work on the website's multitude of math problems every day when she had extra time. She also loves reading, especially Harry Potter and Roald Dahl books, as well as snowboarding and figure skating. She hopes to compete in figure skating, with the Olympics as a possible future goal. The forward-thinking fourth-grader already has her sights set even farther into the future: she wants to be a surgeon!
Players
Florence Kim (NV) Aarush Kaithi (NJ) Samuel Lazarre (NJ) Manuel Platel (NY) Gaelle Alexandre (NY) Autumn Betham (PA)
Team Leaders
Brian Vallinino (NY) Stephanie Piccola (NJ) Timothy Bickhart (PA) Nicole Colarte (NY) Viviana Garcia (NY) Kimberly Henry (PA) Timothy Bickhart (PA) Tanya Fuller (NY) Meghan Pearce (PA) Francisco Gomez-Guerrero (NY)
Schools
Lime Kiln Elementary (NY) St. Francis Desales School (PA) Wedgwood Elementary School (NJ) Thomas Fitzwater Elementary (PA) Bridgeport Elementary (PA) Alexander II Magnet School (GA) Fort Washington Elementary (PA) Goodnoe Elementary School (PA) Jarrettown Elementary School (PA) Tracy Elementary School (PA)
Top Educator Players
Jeffrey Markham (PA) Mary Higgins (PA) Ashlene Quinn (PA) Brian Villinino (NY) Susan Costenbader (PA) Gregory Holzhauer (NY) Kathleen Foster (PA) Timroy Shaw (GA) Tracy Buttars (NY) Jennifer DiMarzo (OH)
2025
A monthly award given to an educator who has been actively talking about math achievement on social media channels.
November
Title I Math Resource Teacher, Glen Burnie Park Elementary Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD
2023
October
Math Coach, Garden City Primary Buildings Garden City School District, Garden City, NY
2023
October
Gifted Education Teacher, Willow Lane Elementary School East Penn School District, Emmaus, PA
2023
September
Kindergarten Teacher, Spring Garden Elementary School Bethlehem Area School District, Bethlehem, PA
2023
May
3rd Grade Educator, G. A. Jackson Elementary School Jericho Union Free School District, Jericho, NY
2023
April
3rd Grade ELA Teacher at Whitman Elementary School Washington Township Public Schools, Turnersville, NJ
2023
March
4th Grade Teacher, James A. Dever Elementary School Valley Stream 13 School District, Valley Stream, NY
2023
February
5th Grade Teacher, Ridgeway Elementary School Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Severn, MD
2023
December
6th Grade Math Teacher, Easton Area Middle School Easton Area School District, Easton, PA
2022
November
Computer Science Teacher, Franconia Elementary School Souderton Area School District, Souderton, PA
2022
October
Principal, Mars Estates Elementary School Baltimore County Public Schools, Essex, MD
2022
September
1st Grade Teacher, Glen Burnie Park Elementary School Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Glen Burnie, MD
2022
An annual award given to educators who exemplify Lola's spirit.
2010
Cherylene McClendon of Joseph Pennell School in the School District of Philadelphia was presented with the inaugural Dr. Lola J. May Award as the #1-Ranked TLP in the nation, besting nearly 14,000 of her peers in 2009/2010 National competition.
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.
