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 an unprecedented third year in a row, Josephine Nguyen is the #1 First In Math player in the nation, all grades! The St. Cecilia sixth-grader set a new record, earning 60,821 Stickers—more than any student or teacher ever. Featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Josephine has received high praise from her honors math teacher and FIM creator Robert Sun, who admires her precision in maximizing every module. Displaying characteristic humility, she has decided not to compete for a fourth title, saying, “I want to give other kids a chance.”
Players
Shangyu Andrew Xu (CT) Julia Long (MD) Thanusha Mathiyalagan (CA) Aiko Yamauchi (PA) Pranav Sundararajan (CT) Adriana Cortes (FL) Daniel Wang, Jr. (PA) Vy Trinh-Nguyen (PA)
Team Leaders
Mathew David Morse (CA) Maribel C. Ordonez (PA) Lisa Leider (PA) Adam Yaller (MA) Stephanie Williams-Nykamp (PA) Lisa Weingartner (OK) Allyson Rusnov (OH) Samuel Allison (MA) Scott Colin (CA) Jo Warren (PA) Ken McKinney Br. Gerald Hopeck (MD)
Schools
Manatee Bay ES (FL) S C Lee Junior HS (TX) Bishop Mussio Ctl JS (OH) St. Francis Desales School (PA) St. Veronica School (PA) St. Laurence School (PA) Baldi MS (PA) Sacred Heart School (PA) St. Didacus School (CA) St. Gabriel's School (PA)
Top Educator Players
2014
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.
2021
David Leith is being recognized with the Lola J. May Award for the second year in a row. He teaches at Theiss Elementary, Klein ISD in Texas. "First in Math continues to grow with more students playing more games and solving more problems. All of this leads to more enthusiasm and greater math understanding for our students, and that's the real celebration."
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.
