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.
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.
2026
Jeff Markham, a 5th-grade teacher at Clearview ES in the Bethlehem Area School District, is the 2026 recipient of the Dr. Lola J. May Award. A longtime First In Math user, Markham also received the award in 2025 and 2023. “I have really enjoyed playing First In Math this year. It was quite a competition among the educators, and there were times when I wasn’t sure I would win. The student competition was amazing as well and fun to watch. Over the years, my students and I have had a lot of fun playing and working together to strengthen our math skills. First In Math is a great program that is engaging and fun for my students. Good luck next year to all the students and educators playing 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.
