Math Medic Foundation (MMF) has selected 5 deserving students to help send to college! The Foundation received many applications and these 5 stood out for their determination, work ethic, and desire to make an impact on the world. These students will pursue mathematics and help balance the scales in a field that is still largely homogeneous. But they need our help - each of their families has experienced hardship and will not be able to afford college without taking on substantial student loans. We at MMF have committed a base scholarship of $2,000 to each student, but we want to do more. Here is where you come in!

We’re going to split all proceeds from this campaign equally among these 5 students! If we raise $10,000, their scholarship will increase from $2,000 to $4,000 each. If we raise $20,000, their scholarship will increase to $6,000, and so on. Help us give these students a truly life-altering award!  

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Component:  After donating, you'll have the option to fundraise by sending a unique link to your friends and family. Fundraisers who raise $150 OR MORE from now until Giving Tuesday (12/3/24) will receive a 10 oz stackable YETI mug. *Gifts will be sent out in January 2025*

 Donate 

Jacqueline Ornelas-Ventura, Los Angeles, CA

 Jacqueline Ornelas-Ventura will be the first in her family to attend college. Growing up, her family didn't have much and was forced to move from one relative's house to the next. All the moving meant Jacqueline struggled to form long-lasting friendships. This experience taught her that the best way to create a better path for herself and her family was to excel in school and continue working hard. She's done just that, soaking up every math class her school offers and attending community college for math when she moved beyond what her high school could provide. She's driven to succeed and passionate about mathematics. She wants to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics and become a math professor. We dare you to try and stop her!

From Jacqueline: Being awarded this scholarship brings me joy and confidence in my appreciation of math. It’s a reassurance to myself that people out there believe in me and my skills. Moreover, I feel so much relief since paying for college is a massive worry I have been dealing with. After high school, I want to continue studying math in college and eventually graduate with a doctorate degree, too. After that, I want to teach at a small college in hopes of being able to build genuine bonds with my students. Hopefully at some point, I will receive tenure so I can focus completely on my career of giving back to my community.

From Jaqueline’s teacher, Chris Flaherty: Jackie is one of the strongest students I have ever worked with. I taught her in Algebra 2 Honors and AP Calculus. I also was her coach in cross country and track where she was my captain and top athlete in both sports as a junior. She has a gifted math brain, and excels in any classroom or individual setting. Her eyes light up with a difficult question and I’m excited that she is interested in pursuing a career in STEM. I also have watched Jackie work tirelessly with mature and independent goals. Jackie seeks out opportunities on her own and works to manifest those goals, whether it’s in the classroom or on the track. 

Daniel Silva, Clifton, NJ

Growing up, Daniel always dealt with eczema, which is an irritating long-lasting chronic skin condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin. It always caused him lots of physical and emotional pain, yet it also taught him important lessons. It showed him that each person has their own personal, sometimes hidden problems that they are dealing with as best they can. Eczema taught Daniel that no matter someone's flaws, they are still human and they deserve respect and kindness. Eczema also taught him to push past his weaknesses and embrace his strengths, including his love and understanding of math, especially calculus. 

From Daniel: Being awarded this scholarship makes me feel proud and excited. I am proud to receive this scholarship because it rewards me for my love of mathematics and recognizes how mathematics has impacted my life. Mathematics made me more confident and ready to pursue careers that will bring positive change to those around me and future generations. I am excited because receiving this scholarship will make it more financially possible for me to attend some of my top dream universities that are more expensive, such as Georgetown University, Lehigh University, Northeastern, and Penn State. After high school, I would love to use my mathematics degree to obtain a mathematics-related career in either the financial, food, or travel industries, whether it is working in market research, data analysis, actuarial sciences, etc., to find ways to make products more accessible and affordable for many, including consumers and small businesses. Afterwards, I plan on sharing my knowledge and experience from both my academic and professional careers with students when I become a secondary or higher ed mathematics instructor, so that I can foster a love for math within students, as has been done for me. As a teacher, I would guide students, peers, and coworkers in both intellectual rigor and ethical thinking in the best way possible so that I can grow intellectually, personally, and professionally while empowering others to do the same.

From Daniel’s teacher, Julia Bemke. Daniel is particularly gifted in the field of mathematics. I had him as a freshman in Algebra 1 Honors, and I currently have him again as a senior in AP Calculus AB. He learns AP Calculus so well. It is not that it is necessarily easy for him, but he puts in the time to learn - I am talking hours. He makes sure he thoroughly understands the content. He works well with peers in class and asks good questions, too. One of the most important things that I can appreciate as an AP Calc teacher is his attention to detail. His notation in Calc is seemingly flawless, and he is intentional with everything he writes. His entire notebook is an exemplar of student work. Beyond the classroom, Daniel is one of the sweetest and kindest students I have met here. He is incredibly respectful and responsible. He knows how to communicate professionally and is really ahead of the game.

Akosua Haynes, Chicago, IL 

Akosua was forced to grow up in a hurry. She and her friend were on a boat on a foggy morning when a powerful gust of wind caused the boat to capsize. While being thrown into the water, Akosua realized that her friend was caught under the hull. Without thinking, Akosua managed to pull her friend out and help her onto the overturned boat. As they waited over an hour for help, they realized just how fragile life is. This near-tragic experience helped Akosua focus on what matters most and work hard at achieving her goals. When she experienced struggle in math class for the first time while taking AP Calculus, she reached out to friends to form a study group. Learning with others showed her that there might be better ways to study than what she'd usually done in the past. Akosua is a problem solver, and for her career, she wants to find sustainable solutions to major environmental challenges. 

From Akosua: This scholarship is a stepping stone toward my college journey, and it strengthens my belief that I can continue to find support in achieving my goals. Knowing this award will go toward my education feels empowering—it’s a reminder that my aspirations are within reach. I'm truly grateful and look forward to this being the first of many opportunities to support my path forward. This award feels like a recognition of that journey and the hard work I've put into a subject that I genuinely love. It brings a sense of pride and motivation, encouraging me to keep pursuing my passion in STEM. After high school, I plan to study mechanical, civil or environmental  engineering, driven by my interest in designing practical, sustainable solutions for real-world challenges. I’m inspired by the potential of mechanical engineering to innovate systems that improve lives, from renewable energy technologies to efficient water purification devices. My goal is to contribute to projects that promote environmental resilience and sustainable development. Through this work, I hope to make a lasting impact on the world, using engineering to create a more sustainable future for all.

From Akosua’s teacher, Byron Espinoza: I was Akosua's teacher for both Honors Algebra 2 (she was a freshman) and AP Calculus AB (she was a junior). She was an advanced student from the beginning. She was performing above the level of most of her peers for much of the year, until we reached a topic with which she was unfamiliar: trigonometry. I believe that this was a shock to her system; she was no longer the expert, because she was entirely unfamiliar with the topic. This forced her to develop her problem-solving skills. Thankfully, she has great interpersonal skills, which allowed her to draw on the help of her classmates. Ultimately, she was able to succeed as a result of her diligence and perseverance.

Samuel Moreida Rey, Placentia, CA 

In 7th grade, Samuel was admitted to a prestigious prep school. The rigorous academic environment and long commute required him to sacrifice free time and adjust to a new level of discipline. Waking up at 6 a.m. daily to catch the bus, despite staying up late to study, pushed Samuel beyond his comfort zone. Initially, he struggled with self-confidence after facing failure, something he wasn't used to. However, those challenges sparked a desire to improve, and over time, Samuel became one of the most reliable students, often sought for help by his peers. His interest in mathematics grew as he appreciated the critical thinking and problem-solving it requires. While he had always absorbed knowledge quickly, his new school forced Samuel to confront his overconfidence and build strong study habits. Mathematics, with its structured logic and patterns, fascinated him, and he came to enjoy the challenge of mastering new concepts. This discipline extended into his leadership roles, particularly with Smiles Brought To You, a tutoring initiative he leads to help Hispanic students from low-income families reach their academic potential. 

From Samuel: Being awarded this scholarship means a lot to me. It being a mathematics-focused award has made me reflect on how much this subject means to me. I have a burning passion with this subject, and it has never left my side, and I wish to continue my journey with it, and seeing my passion being paid off brings joy to my face. I hope to become a Biomedical Engineer, but I do not want to simply work in a lab, but rather my endgame is to create machinery to aid the world. With so much destruction in the world and weapons of mass chaos, it doesn't seem like a bad thing for me to want to put a little bit of it back together.

From Samuel’s teacher, Eric Huang: Samuel is a student that wants to do well and works hard. He performs well in my class and he is a willing collaborator in all of our activities. He is also on the varsity water polo team and has really had to juggle academics and sports this first part of the year and I am impressed with his ability to handle it all! 
 

Kathy Duran Reyes, Grand Rapids, MI 

Currently, Kathy is working two jobs on top of sports and school while still making time to study. Her mother is in Mexico and has been for the past two years due to immigration issues. Kathy's mom means everything to her, serving as both her mom and dad. She works 12 hours every day in Mexico saving money for her lawyer in hopes of coming back one day and reuniting with Kathy and her sister. 

Without financial assistance at home, Kathy is working to pay for her own way through college. She plans to start at a community college before transfering to a university. Kathy isn't waiting for anyone to save her; she's taking matters into her own hands and working as hard as possible to create the life she wants - a lesson she learned from her mom. One day, she wants to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics and work for NASA; helping to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time. 

Fom Kathy: Being awarded this scholarship is a complete honor, and words can’t express the gratitude I feel. Growing up, I thought I was never good in school and I always thought I was dumb. I never really thought I could be anything in the future until last year, when I really realized my full potential and how much I can really achieve if I put in the effort. I learned that I have never been dumb, I just didn’t know my hidden talents! This scholarship really shows me how my hard work has paid off despite all the obstacles that I have faced. And it really makes me believe that everything is possible. I believe in Latino excellence and I want to encourage my Hispanic community to continue their education and to not stop for anything. We are such hard workers and we are capable of anything and everything. I also hope to add to the Hispanic women that work in Engineering or physics and I want to inspire all the little Hispanic girls and boys all over the world that the sky is not the limit. Our dreams will one day become reality.

From Kathy’s teacher, James Rex: Kathy was a student in my Algebra 2 class during her junior year and has also worked with me as a member of our school’s G-Club during her senior year. Kathy has exceeded the expectations we set for our students in terms of perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and engagement. She has a remarkable work ethic and outstanding attention to detail. Beyond being a great student, Kathy has demonstrated time and again that she is truly a wonderful person. She is kind, considerate, responsible, dedicated, and caring towards others. It is this combination of academic excellence and compassion for others that set her apart from her peers. 

 Donate 

Please join Math Medic Foundation in our mission to improve math outcomes for all. You can contact us to get involved or donate here.

Follow us on X!

11/11/2024