Writer / Melissa Gibson
If you’ve ever struggled with math, you know the frustration students feel when moving through fractions, multiplication, algebra, geometry and even calculus. It either comes easily to you, or you get stumped fairly quickly.
Mathnasium exists to help all math students succeed. Students K-12 can make an appointment to get assistance from the only center that is completely focused on math in Hendricks County.
Their goal is to get students back on track and to build the confidence they need to succeed in math by partnering with schools, teachers and tutors and creating personalized learning plans that cater to each child’s specific needs.
Susan Kolozvari grew up in California with a grandmother who lived in Hendricks County. She visited often and even after her grandmother passed away, the Kolozvari family would come to Indiana to take care of the family’s land and get to know the people who were farming it.
Kolozvari had earned a degree in physics at Amherst but said she’s always had education and teaching deep in her heart, which led her to business ownership today.
“After earning my degree, I discovered I loved the teaching part and not so much being in the lab all day,” Kolozvari said. “I ended up with a master’s from Stanford and then never quite found my way into the classroom.”
Instead, she dove into all things family.
“When I had my own family, I was on the board for the preschool, served as the soccer coach and the scout leader. I’ve always been involved with youth and teaching in different ways and just decided I was not the right fit for a classroom teacher,” Kolozvari said.
Instead, she applied for an instructor position with Mathnasium in Brownsburg in 2019. It was meant to be that side hustle to earn some extra money and release the teaching bug a bit.
However, when the pandemic hit and the world shut down, tutors were desperately needed.
“I started taking on some management roles at Mathnasium. The Avon location had opened and I was the center director there. When the owners decided to move on to another opportunity, they offered the Avon location to me and it’s been a wonderful decision. I’ve absolutely loved it,” Kolozvari said.
For Kolozvari, it’s more than just a business. She wants to make a difference in young people’s lives.
“We teach for understanding. We’ll help you with current homework, so you don’t fall behind, but I don’t hesitate to take a high school student that never learned fractions and multiplication and go back to learn those,” Kolozvari said. “I want to truly solve the problem, so you don’t need crutches to get through your school day forever.”
A full assessment of each student shows what they know and where they are ready to learn. Kolozvari said the most inspiring moment of the job is when she sees students’ growth and success.
“We check to make sure they have learned all the things we’ve expected them to learn and months down the road, they’ll still remember what we taught them,” Kolozvari said. “We’re really teaching and not just memorizing.”
Mathnasium has been named Top Franchise for Women by Franchise Business Review for many consecutive years.
For more information, visit mathnasium.com/math-centers/avonin.
