EASTON, PA—You’ve heard their names before—actually, twice before. For the third consecutive year, sixth-grader Josephine Nguyen and teacher Matt Morse have earned the top spot in their respective categories in First In Math Online Program National Top Ten Competition.
Left: Josephine Nguyen cradles her three National #1 Player All Star awards. Right: Mathew Morse poses with several of his C.W. Dillard students.
To become the #1 player in the nation, Josephine earned more than 60,000 stickers by the end of the competition on April 30. FIM creator Robert Sun estimates she spent nearly 1,000 hours a year. “What is really amazing is the fact that Josephine completed every module on the site to perfection, managing to get the maximum number of stickers from each game," explains Sun.
"She has the focus and the drive to succeed. This is what she's passionate about," St. Cecilia honors math teacher Mary Cihak told The Philadelphia Inquirer Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Michael Vitez. An article titled “WHIZ KID” appeared in the Sunday edition of the prestigious Inquirer, and was also featured prominently on their website. (Read full article here)
Josephine says her passion for FIM is genuine, but she won't win next year. "I want to give other kids a chance."
Three-time Team Leader Player of the Year and winner of the Lola J. May Award, Mathew Morse, says it is hard to put into words how vital FIM has been to him. “I have not only seen growth in my students’ ability to calculate problems quicker, but I have also increased my own ability to calculate quicker.”
A California native, Morse says that he has stopped watching TV in the evening because he wants to keep his 57-year-old brain active. “FIM has increased my ability to keep my mind sharp. I feel one of the most important tasks of anyone over 50 is to find an activity that keeps your mind from slowing down. FIM is my tool for that. Some folks have Suduko or crossword puzzles. I have the First In Math program.”
Morse says that his C.W. Dillard Elementary students look forward to time in the lab working on FIM. “Each year the site adds new games. Each new game is outstanding. The games force students to use critical thinking skills to come up with answers that will reward them with the most stickers. Just like in life, we are rewarded for going above and beyond to come up with the best possible solution. FIM challenges the students to go beyond the normal math patterns and rewards them for doing more. This is a microcosm of their future.”