BY ELESE MCKINLEY
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Mathnasium of Auburn, a math tutoring center designed to help students foster their mathematic skills, provides an engaging, confidence building environment.
Mathnasium team member Jake Johnson and his business partner, Chris Lee, recently took ownership of the Auburn location, bringing with them years of experience and a passion for helping students thrive in math.
Johnson’s journey with Mathnasium began in 2014 in Birmingham, where he started as an instructor and after two years, worked his way up to center director. Johnson later bought that same location and became a first time business owner in 2023. Now, Johnson is expanding his business as a co-owner with Lee and is excited to return to Auburn to take part in a business he is very passionate about.
Lee’s journey with Mathnasium began over 20 years ago as one of the first franchise owners in the entire system. He recently sold his five Mathnasium centers in Georgia. With his daughter currently a sophomore at Auburn University, Lee jumped at the opportunity to partner with Johnson in acquiring the Auburn location.
Johnson and Lee officially took over this month, while preparations for the transition began weeks prior.
Joining Johnson in daily operations is Elizabeth Brazier, the center’s director, who has been with Mathnasium for six years. Brazier ensures that each student receives a personalized and welcoming experience from the moment they walk through the doors.
“When personalizing each learning plan, we are able to address each student’s needs,” Brazier said. “No matter what their learning ability may be, we are able to design personal learning plans curated for each specific student.”
Brazier said she believes in the importance of easing nervous students by making each student feel heard and accurately assessed, all while helping each student build confidence in their abilities. Johnson, Lee and Brazier all believe this approach sets students up for success from the start.
Mathnasium differentiates itself from traditional tutoring by using a proactive, customized approach that emphasizes mastery and fun. Instead of repetitive drills, the center incorporates games and a rewards system that helps keep students engaged and motivated.
The program serves students from early elementary to high school, offering flexible membership options based on age and academic level. Students are able to attend up to three one-hour sessions each week. Each session combines homework help with focused instruction based on the student’s personalized learning plan.
“The system is really well designed,” Johnson said. “We use an assessment to get started, and then Mathnasium’s platform helps generate a plan. From there, we can customize it even further to fit each student’s needs.”
Lee often finds himself impressed with the results he has seen in students that have taken advantage of the curriculum at Mathnasium over a period of time.
“Over the years, I’ve seen countless students’ lives transformed by Mathnasium — primarily for two reasons,” Lee said. “First, students often experience a noticeable boost in confidence after just a few sessions. Second, they begin to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that extend far beyond math — impacting their performance in other subjects and even their everyday decision-making.”
Brazier described her favorite part of the job as watching students have those “aha” moments.
“You see a student who thought they weren’t good at math realize they can be good at it. That’s the best part,” she said.
Johnson agreed.
“The reward system is fun, but the best moment is when a student takes a post-assessment and sees real improvement. That lightbulb moment — when they realize they understand something they used to struggle with — that is why we do this.”
The team at Mathnasium works to make math less intimidating and more accessible, all while helping students keep up, catch up or get ahead.
Mathnasium of Auburn is now enrolling students and welcoming new families into its supportive and fun learning environment.
