I developed a passion for two student populations: those inherently gifted in math and desiring as much enrichment as possible, and those who struggle and haven’t yet been inspired to appreciate and understand mathematics.”

Mandi’s Story

Born and raised in a suburb of Orlando, Mandi Kraemer grew up loving school. Nearly every subject fascinated her–with the exception of mathematics. Things changed when she attended Lake Mary High School, where several influential teachers made math come alive.

Mandi enrolled at the University of Fla., majoring in physics with a minor in math. She enjoyed the coursework, but began to realize her future did not lie in the research or practice of physics or math. Instead, she realized that her love of making mathematics understandable to others could translate to a teaching career.

After graduation, Mandi spent the better part of a year overseas as a volunteer teacher. Over the course of four months teaching at a non-governmental organization (NGO) school in rural Cambodia and three more months teaching in Africa, “I witnessed first-hand the difficulties faced by those in other parts of the world, as well as the true beauty and resilience of the human spirit.” She also realized what a powerful impact an educator can have.

Mandi returned to the University of Florida for graduate school where she earned a master’s degree in education in May 2009.