Mississippi State University employees launch Starkville Mathletes
April 16, 2025
STARKVILLE, Miss.— Two Mississippi State University employees are on a mission to transform how students engage with mathematics.
On Sunday mornings, Shanti Bhushan (Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering) and Santhana Boopalan (Postdoctoral Associate in Comparative Biomedical Sciences) began tutoring to boost their children’s and their friends' children’s math skills. Two years later, this initiative evolved into the Starkville Mathletes <insert this link here https://sites.google.com/view/starkville-matheletes/home>, comprising over twenty students who meet each Sunday in Carpenter Hall to explore competitive mathematics as a regular activity. The group, organized through the Bagley College of Engineering’s Office of K-12 Outreach, also prepares the students to compete in the American Mathematical Competitions, the preeminent math competition for grades K-12.
Bhushan emphasized that Sunday sessions are not just aimed at preparing students for competition and teaching the mathematical concepts; it’s about bolstering their confidence in mathematics, a subject many students traditionally don’t feel confident in and struggle with. “Studies have shown a link between children’s confidence and their ability to do calculations, and we are seeing that in real-time,” Bhushan said.
Boopalan noted that the group has recently partnered with the Starkville Oktibbeha County School District to cultivate a culture of mathematical excellence, nurture a love for problem-solving, and promote a growth mindset among young participants. “Our students are excited to come to the board and solve problems in front of their peers. More importantly, they’re proud of themselves for tackling these challenges and developing problem-solving skills. Success in the AMC is just a bonus,” Bhushan said.
Typically, 140,000 and 160,000 students take the AMC 8 and AMC 10/12 exams respectively. AMC "X" is available for any child in grade "X" or below. Between Oct 2024 and Jan 2025, 16 and 11 Starkville Mathlete students respectively took the AMC 8 and AMC 10 exam. In the AMC 8 in Jan 2025, two students received the honor roll which means they have placed among the top 5% of all test-takers, while three younger participants (≤6th grade) earned the Certificate of Merit by scoring 15 or higher. In the AMC 10 exam of Nov 2024, a child obtained the Certificate of Merit by scoring 90 or higher being in <= 8th grade.
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