MATHCOUNTS Creates Positive Experiences
MATHCOUNTS, one of the longest-running STEM programs for students, turns 40 next year. Bolton & Menk first partnered with the Minnesota MATHCOUNTS organization more than 30 years ago. This partnership evolved to employees across Minnesota and Iowa supporting the organization through various coaching, volunteering, and fundraising opportunities.
MATHCOUNTS is making a difference not only on a national level, but also in your community. When you support MATHCOUNTS, you’re supporting your friends and neighbors, as well as preparing the next generation of problem solvers—the doctors, engineers, teachers, and creative thinkers—who will one day lead our country.
Some of our employees sat down
to share their involvement with this organization.
Kristina Brierley, EIT, Design Engineer – Involved in MATHCOUNTS for 2 years
What prompted your involvement in MATHCOUNTS?
I was asked by a coworker if I wanted to help and found a need in the coordinator position. Since my background before Bolton & Menk was a middle school math teacher, I jumped right into the coordinator position.
As a coordinator for the City of Lakes competition, it is my job to ensure that the venue is set up and ready to go for the day, recruiting college students and MnSPE volunteers, and communicating with middle school coaches to ensure they know the plan for the day. On the day of the event, I keep coordination between the grading room and the testing room to ensure timing. I’m also involved in outreach to schools, planning the competitions throughout the year, and gathering supplies and needed details so that our competitions run smoothly. I also serve as the main point of contact for our teachers and coaches as they prepare for the competition season.
Why have you stayed involved in this program?
I enjoy knowing I am still able to support middle schoolers in their math development. It is also a lot of fun getting to know the other Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers (MnSPE) volunteers and creating friendships.
Mike Waltman, PE, Principal Engineer – Involved with MATHCOUNTS for 15 years
What prompted your involvement in MATHCOUNTS?
I received an invitation to help score MATHCOUNTS tests with the capitol chapter as an Engineer In Training (EIT). It was somewhat of a networking event while volunteering to help a good cause. After participating as a scorer for a couple of years, I was ‘trained in’ to emcee the testing room for the South Capitol Chapter event. Getting to know some others on the committee through further involvement there, I joined the MnSPE Capitol Chapter’s Executive Committee, which met monthly to plan the MATHCOUNTS events among other various outings. I latched on to the annual metro MATHCOUNTS golf fundraiser through that involvement. The annual golf event raises funding ($9,400 in 2023) for the two Minnesota Capitol Chapter competitions, the City of Lakes (Minneapolis) chapter competition, and a portion of the State MATHCOUNTS competition.
Why have you stayed involved with this program?
It’s nice to be involved in something to give back, there’s now a certain familiarity with what goes into this initiative. I like the people who are involved and find it to be a good professional networking opportunity, and I enjoy the emcee and golf event organization role.
In 1984, MATHCOUNTS was started as a national mathematics competition and coaching program for millions of middle school students. Sponsored by the CNA Foundation, National Society of Professional Engineers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and others including Art of Problem Solving, the focus of MATHCOUNTS is on mathematical problem solving. It serves students of all interests and ability levels in math, and at its core mission, is to create a supportive environment for students to participate in positive math experiences.
If you’re interested in helping to support this organization, there are many levels of volunteer levels available and can be found on the MATHCOUNTS website.
We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics. – Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician
