Mu Alpha Theta at Memorial High School

Mu Alpha Theta is the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society whose purpose is the promotion of scholarship in, and enjoyment and understanding of, mathematics among students. The organization has over 2,400 chapters nationwide with over 118,000 collective members. Locally, Memorial High School opened its first chapter just a few years ago and has become a coveted organization among the student body.

Senior Esme Bohan is the current president of Mu Alpha Theta, entering her second year in this leadership role. The organization’s leadership board consists of Bohan, Vice President Erin Jia, and Historian Palloma Dinesh.

In the 2025-2026 school year, the board implemented several changes to improve their impact. Mandatory meetings are now held on the first Monday of each month, with attendance required at the end of the session. To accommodate the diverse schedules among busy members, the club offers time slots before school at 7:15 a.m., during the 5B lunch period, and after school at 3:20 p.m.

All members are required to fulfill a total of five hours, both meeting hours and activity hours, per semester to remain a member. Hours are earned through attendance, online math practice through the FreeRice program, and required in-person tutoring sessions.

“The most difficult thing about running the organization is making sure that all the hours are in, and that I stay on top of things myself,” Bohan said. “With senior year hitting and everything happening, especially as an athlete, it can sometimes be difficult to coordinate. I’m in other honor societies as well, so managing everything can be hard.”

Palloma Dinesh introduces the Kahoot game to the afternoon MAT meeting.

Tutoring sessions are held after school until 4 p.m. on the third floor of the new building, where students of any grade level are welcome to receive math assistance from well-qualified members of Mu Alpha Theta.

“I help facilitate and lead monthly meetings, track member dues, and helped create the idea for the new tutoring program,” Dinesh said. “My idea was for a tutoring program to connect underclassmen with upperclassmen in order to provide math academic support and strengthen the MHS community.”

During monthly meetings, the board presents a slideshow discussing important reminders about future meetings, new involvement opportunities for hours, and exciting events such as Secret Santa for members to participate in.

In addition to the friendly gift exchange, Mu Alpha Theta invited members to a December potluck, where students can celebrate a successful first semester and an exciting holiday season.

Students interested in joining the organization must meet several rigorous criteria to become a member. Some prerequisites include achieving all A’s (90 and above) in every high school math class they have taken at Memorial and thoroughly completing an application.

“My favorite part about Mu Alpha Theta is meeting with like-minded people and getting to talk,” Bohan said. “Especially with the new tutoring program this year, it’s been great to give back to the school in some way. I would encourage all students interested in joining to apply!”