In a quiet classroom in San Marcos a third grader stares at a number line, her brow furrowed in concentration. She’s not memorizing formulas. She’s not being handed answers. Instead, she’s exploring — moving numbers, testing ideas, building something that is truly her own: understanding. This is where it begins. This is Mathworks!
Founded by Dr. Max Warshauer at Texas State University, Mathworks is not just a camp. It’s a transformational experience designed to build fearless problem solvers, critical thinkers and future leaders — one summer at a time. Inspired by Dr. Warshauer’s experience in the Ross Program at Ohio State, Mathworks began in 1990 with a dream: to teach students how to think, not just what to think. What started with 12 high schoolers in a borrowed classroom has grown into a nationally recognized program serving students across all grade levels and backgrounds.
Mathworks offers a tiered approach that nurtures students from their first math curiosity to advanced exploration:
• Junior Summer Math Camp (JSMC) (Levels 1–5): For local elementary and middle school students, these half-day camps build a foundation in algebra, geometry, and advanced problem-solving. Each level builds on the last starting with integers and equations, progressing through coordinate geometry and discrete mathematics. “Kids leave Level 1 knowing how to add and subtract integers using number lines and games, and they love it,” longtime teacher Melissa Freese said. “They’re learning sixth-grade concepts in third grade.”
• Residential Camp (JSMCR): A full-time two-week experience for middle schoolers from across the nation. Students live and learn at Texas State University, diving deep into advanced mathematics with world-class faculty. “We don’t give them answers,” Dr. Warshauer said. “We give them questions — and the space to wrestle with them.”
• Honors Summer Math Camp (HSMC): The pinnacle of the program, HSMC selects about 40 top students from hundreds of applicants. Here, they study number theory, real analysis and even conduct original research for six weeks. Students from HSMC have gone on to MIT, Princeton, Google, Microsoft and beyond.
What truly sets Mathworks apart isn’t just the curriculum, it’s the community.
“Mathworks made me love the subject,” said Olivia Bley, now heading to Yale to study statistics. “But more than that, it made me feel like I belonged.”
Bley and her peer Benjamin Keller, Princeton- bound valedictorian, began Mathworks as curious kids. Over the years, they returned not just as students, but as counselors and mentors.
“It’s about growing together,” Keller shared. “Mathworks taught me how to think. How to lead. How to care.”
That transformation is echoed by Sofia White, who began in Level 1 and now returns as a college Fellow mentoring younger students.
“Mathworks taught me to be brave in my own learning,” she said. “It’s more than a camp, it’s a launchpad.”
And for the teachers — like Melissa Freese, Amanda Voigt and EJ Mungia — it’s a source of renewal.
“This is why I’m still in education,” Melissa Freese said. “Every summer at Mathworks feels like a family reunion. It reminds me why I teach.”
Teachers describe Mathworks as the best teaching environment they’ve experienced: more support, less pressure and a focus on real learning.
“It’s not about getting through a textbook,” Voigt added. “It’s about getting students to think deeply, ask questions and explore.”
Working in partnership with San Marcos CISD, where over half of the students are on free and reduced lunch, San Marcos CISD provides a free breakfast and lunch to all JSMC half-day participants. H-E-B Tournament of Champions, the Lions Club and generous alumni and friends provide scholarships that ensure that all students can attend math camp no matter what their financial situation is.
“It’s not just about giving kids math,” Dr. Warshauer said. “It’s about giving every kid a chance to see they’re capable of great things.”
Students leave math camp feeling empowered that they can tackle any new problems they might encounter.
Every part of the program — students, teachers, counselors and researchers — is woven into the university itself. It’s not an add-on. It’s a living laboratory, a teacher training ground, a model for how higher education can serve younger generations.
Over 36 years, Mathworks has become more than a program. It’s a legacy. Students who once doubted themselves leave confident. Campers become counselors. Fellows become faculty. Mathworks alumni are now doctors, engineers, educators and entrepreneurs — leaders in every field.
“If you invest in Mathworks,” Keller said, “you’re not just investing in students.
You’re investing in innovation.”
And it all starts with that spark — that moment a young mind realizes, ‘I can do this.’ That’s Mathworks!