Her Story
About Liz
Liz Jimenez Martinez is a mathematics educator and nonprofit leader whose career spans more than fifteen years of teaching at the community college and university level. Currently serving as an adjunct professor at institutions including Northern Virginia Community College and Bryant & Stratton College, she has taught a wide range of subjects, from Quantitative Reasoning and Precalculus to Calculus I through III and Linear Algebra. Her dedication to student success has earned her recognition as a Distinguished Adjunct at Northern Virginia Community College, a testament to the individualized support and mentorship she consistently provides to her students.
In August 2025, Liz took her passion for closing learning gaps a step further by founding alMATHEMA, a nonprofit organization built around an original diagnostic framework that pinpoints the exact stage in a student's reasoning where understanding breaks down. Rather than relying on broad topic reviews, her platform is designed to make mathematics readiness visible and actionable for students, educators, and institutions alike. As founder and president, she oversees every aspect of the organization, from developing the digital platform with software partners to managing operations, driving outreach, and pursuing funding to support its growth. She is currently piloting the platform with faculty partners while building new institutional collaborations.
Liz holds a Master's degree in Mathematics from the University of Miami and a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Bard College, and she is fluent in both English and Portuguese. Her career reflects a deep belief in perseverance and self-advocacy, values she often shares with the next generation of educators: that no one should let others diminish their sense of capability, and that lasting success comes from one's own belief and persistence. Guided by an approach rooted in openness, flexibility, and a willingness to keep learning from those around her, she continues to work toward a future where every student has access to the tools needed to identify and close their own learning gaps.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Liz
01What do you attribute your success to?
I credit my success to a combination of my upbringing and education, along with the people who believed in and supported me along the way — my family, mentors, and teachers. Just as important has been my own persistent optimism, which has kept me moving forward even through difficult moments.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is simple: don't let anyone make you feel less than you are — believe in yourself. Along the way, you'll find mentors who champion you, but you'll also encounter people who won't believe in your potential. What ultimately matters is your own conviction and persistence in pursuing your goals.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges facing our field is the growing concern around the role of AI in education. At the same time, I see a real opportunity in the lack of platforms designed to assess student readiness in a meaningful way — tools that can diagnose the specific gaps in a student's reasoning process, rather than simply marking answers right or wrong.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I place great importance on approaching people and situations without judgment, and on practicing acceptance. I also value being open to learning from and working alongside others, and I try to stay flexible in how I approach both my work and my personal life.
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