Meet our Student Marijka: From Math Struggles to Scholarship Success

Ever since I was a kid, I struggled with math. I had trouble grasping concepts - that is,

until I started attending Mathnasium. My name is Marijka, and I’m so thankful to be the recipient of the

Jagger Eaton “Ace Your Dreams” 2024 scholarship! This experience has meant so much to me and I hope

by sharing my story it inspires others to go after what they love, no matter how difficult it may be.

I am currently a 9th grader that has been attending Mathnasium since 6th grade. I love playing

volleyball, traveling, and learning new things! Mathnasium has shaped me into a hardworking and driven

student. Me and math have had a complicated relationship over the years, sometimes making perfect

sense and other times...not so much. However, when I started attending Mathnasium in Downers Grove,

Illinois, things started to click. The instructors were patient, encouraging, and knew exactly how to

explain things in a way that made sense to me. So, when I heard about the scholarship opportunity, I knew

I needed to challenge myself and apply. It was a chance to get better at something that used to frustrate

me. This scholarship gave me the motivation to believe in myself and that I could do something great with

math.

The topic for my scholarship application was an essay that focused on the struggle between my

homework, volleyball practices, and Mathnasium, while trying to balance improvement in one of the most

important classes in school, mathematics. I wrote from the heart, sharing how Mathnasium has helped my

confidence in school. It was fun to reflect on how far I’d come. The day I found out I won I was thrilled!

It inspired me to work even harder!

I am beyond thankful to Jagger Eaton’s support to give back to today’s Mathnasium students, who

helped him in the past as well. This scholarship not only helped with the expense, but also showed that

people believed in me. Looking ahead, I’m excited to keep on building my math skills, hopefully leading

me into my dream career of engineering. If I were to give one piece of advice, it is to believe in yourself

and not let your fears slow you down.

- Marijka