With this story, First In Math News introduces a new feature, Winner’s Circle, where we introduce you to former champions and share their recent accomplishments.
We inaugurate our series with Janae Bell, 18, from Weston, Florida.
Bell, who hosts an exercise/fitness blog on Instagram, says that her training will be an asset—both physically and mentally—when she is at Harvard.
Being first, as well as the first, is comfortable for Janae Bell.
During the 2005-2006 school year, when Manatee Bay Elementary introduced the First In Math Online Program, Bell won the fifth-grade title and also placed first in the state.
Now, nine years later, Bell has accomplished another first by selecting to matriculate at Harvard University this fall. She will be the first student from Manatee Bay Elementary to attend the Ivy League university.
Bell considers competition “healthy” and “important.” “Personally, I wanted to do the best I could and believed there was always room for improvement and that I could always achieve better.”
When Manatee Bay Elementary introduced First In Math, Bell loved that it “was not the traditional way of learning.” Her parents knew that if she “wasn’t around,” she was solving problems and earning stickers.
According to her mother, Janet Bell, “Every day, Janae would come home from school and do her homework. First In Math really helped strengthen her basic math skills and fluidity. Something about it made her want to push herself and practice every day.”
“It’s a game that serves a positive purpose,” explains Bell. “It allows students to discover a passion for math and find their own way.”
In addition to enhancing her math skills, both Bell and her mother believe that FIM developed other life skill such as setting goals, meeting goals, time-management and self-organization.
All of these qualities have been of added importance during the past year as Bell navigates her responsibilities as Miss Broward County Outstanding Teen 2013. Her involvement with the pageant was the unexpected consequence of a devastating injury that limited her ability to pursue a career in dance.
A veteran pageant contestant encouraged Bell to participate, and in doing so, she realized that although she would not become a professional dancer, as initially intended, she could celebrate her passion for a healthy lifestyle, exercise and fitness. Bell created “Let’s Move It” as her contest platform and her persuasive presentation and responses during the interview portion of the pageant contributed to her earning the crown.
At Harvard, Bell will be involved with the Phillips Brooks House Association, a student-run organization that endeavors to meet community needs while advocating structural change. An advocate of community service since her days volunteering with the National Honor Society at Cypress Bay High School, Bell is looking forward to “putting myself into many different situations” in order to learn about what suits her best.
When asked to share some words of advice with other First In Math enthusiasts, Bell said,
“You can always keep going. Challenge yourself—if you keep going you will be surprised at the levels you are able to complete. My experience with the game surpassed my own expectations.”
We look forward to seeing what Bell will accomplish next and wish her great success during her years at Harvard.