Champions
of Math

Join us in celebrating the people who make First in Math special

Hall of Fame

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An annual award given to the #1 Player First in Math player across all grades!

Ao Kong

Eighth-grader Ao Kong has once again claimed the title of #1 Player, All Grades, in the First In Math® Online Program, making history as the first two-time winner with back-to-back victories in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. A student at General George A. McCall Elementary in Philadelphia, she dominated the competition for months, earning an incredible 44,860 Stickers by the April 30 deadline. Opting for a unique honor instead of a second Apple iTouch, Kong received a crystal award for Extraordinary Mathematics Achievement. First In Math creator Robert Sun praises her perseverance, noting she solved approximately 135,000 math problems, including algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, to reach the top. A three-time National All-Star, Kong looks forward to attending Central High School in the fall.

Honorable Mentions

Players

James O'Shea (PA) Valentino Papa (PA) Hannah Sonsalla (WI) Brian Xia (CA) Mark Stenske (PA) Caleb McCammon (MD) Jordan Sandy (MD) Alice Hu (PA) Ryan Dougherty (PA)

Team Leaders

Kevin Tomasic (PA) Jeffrey L. Kraner (OH) Sheri Galbreath (CA) Colleen Armor (PA) Lydia Laidlow (MD) Carol Lauck (PA) Neil Beitman (PA) Monica Patel (PA) Chris Sakers (MD)

Schools

Northmont ES (CA) St. Joseph the Worker (PA) AMY Northwest (PA) OLMBS School (PA) Paint Branch ES (MD) Calverton ES (MD) Evans Computer Mag. (PA) Anne Frank ES (PA) St. Pius X (PA) Manatee Bay ES (FL) Baldi Middle School (PA)

Top Educator Players

2009

Spirit in Education

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A monthly award given to an educator who has been actively talking about math achievement on social media channels.

December

Rachel DeCarlo

- @rachel_decarlo

4th grade LTS teacher, Maple Glen Elementary Upper Dublin School District, PA

2020

November

Melissa Walsh

- @PalmerPanthers1

Interventionist, Palmer Elementary School Easton Area School District, PA

2020

October

Sonia Batista

- @Ms_Batista5

Grade 3 Math Teacher, Oak Tree Road School Woodbridge Township School District, NJ

2020

September

Samantha Brown

- @MrsBrown

Grade 2 Math Teacher, Freetown ES Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD

2020

June

Shannon Ziemer

- @MDCityMath

Title 1 Math Teacher, Maryland City Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD

2020

May

Kathy Benton

- @KathyBenton72

Grade 3, Glendale Elementary School Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD

2020

April

Katie Gould

- @Gouldkm21

Math & Science Specialist, Mueller Elementary School Klein Independent School District, Spring, TX

2020

March

Jennifer Gleason

- @cmespds

Grade 3 Teacher, Crofton Meadows Elementary School Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Crofton, MD

2020

February

Allison Joy Russell

- @joy2teachem

2nd Grade Teacher, Honey Creek Elementary School Rockdale County Public Schools, Conyers, GA

2020

January

Domenick Renzi

- @mustang_math

BSI math Teacher, Wedgwood Elementary School Washington Township Public Schools, Sewell, NJ

2020

December

Kimberly O'Neal

- @kloneal2

District Coordinator Klein Independent School District, Klein, TX

2019

November

Greg DeStasio

- @MrDeStasioFB

Grade 5 Teacher Freemansburg Elementary School Bethlehem Area School District, Freemansburg, PA

2019

Dr. Lola J. May Award

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An annual award given to educators who exemplify Lola's spirit.

2018

Susan Whited

Susan Whited, from Ferry Farm ES in Stafford County, Virginia, is the top-ranked educator in the nation! “After seven years of FIM, I am honored to win the Dr. Lola J. May Award! My strategy was to play each game as accurately as possible in order to maximize the number of stickers that I earned. I hope I showed my students that setting and working toward challenging goals can lead to success..

Silver Medal

Chris Sakers Southwest Academy, Baltimore, MD.

Bronze Medal

Carol A. Lauck St. Nicholas School, Minersville, PA.

About Dr. May

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.