Congratulations to Elliott Kenison (now a 4th grader at Four Mile Elementary) and Lillian Nelson (now a 4th grader at Delaware Elementary), who have been selected for the National Math Stars’ 2025 cohort!

Elliott Kenison and Lillian Nelson

National Math Stars is a multi-state program that identifies students with exceptional math talent and provides them with ten years’ worth of support to accelerate their education. Elliott and Lillian were selected from a pool of thousands of nominations based on academic excellence, passion for mathematics, and school leader recommendations. As National Math Stars, they will receive a long-term package of support valued at over $100,000 per student, which includes:

• Long-term support from 3rd grade through high school at no cost to the family
• Weekly one-on-one math mentoring
• Advanced math learning opportunities
• STEM enrichment materials and opportunities
• Invitations to math competitions and summer camps

We’re especially proud to share that Southeast Polk is one of only two Iowa school districts with multiple National Math Star honorees this year. Elliott and Lillian are two of 17 exceptional Iowa students who earned this honor. Southeast Polk had a total of fifteen 4th-grade students who finished in the top 2% on the state math assessment as 3rd graders. All 15 were eligible to apply to be a National Math Star. We recently recognized these students at a Southeast Polk School Board Meeting.

Southeast Polk Top 2% Math Students:

Altoona Elementary

• Bareth Burgett
• Ellen Peterson
• Liam Thomas

Clay Elementary

• Ezra Cordero
• Leonardo Bralu Gamarra Villa
• Charlotte Olson

Delaware Elementary

• Jackson Hines
• Lillian Nelson*
• Avalyn Derosear
• Paxton Howell
• Roman Kuntz
• Nori Nguyen

Four Mile Elementary

• Henry Maddox
• Elliott Kenison*

Runnells Elementary

• Aiden Behrens

*National Math Stars Winners

Many thanks to all of the teachers, school administrators, parents, and community members who have helped Elliott, Lillian and all of our students shine so brightly. Please join us in celebrating them for their hard work, curiosity, and love for math. We know this is just the beginning of an incredible journey!

About National Math Stars:
National Math Stars is a non-profit organization that helps outstanding young math students reach their full potential by providing long-term, personalized support in STEM.