Meet Karen Lossing | Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Lossing and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, how does your business help the community?

Mathnasium has a mission to change lives through math. Initially, I felt that was an over dramatic statement, but it really isn’t.

For many kids, math is tough! It is procedural and vocabulary rich. Once kids lose their understanding and confidence, those feelings will amplify until some intervention is made. We change the trajectory of these kids daily by building confident problem solvers. We can reach back a year, two years, whenever the clarity fell off, and hit that reset button to thread concepts together and close gaps. If not addressed, math will never get easier. Never, that’s a horrible thought!

Some students are generally successful, but with customized support, they excel. Bs turn to As, math is less daunting, performance on high stakes tests is improved. They raise their hand in class – not only in math, but all subjects. The spillover effect is significant once a child feels like a rockstar!

For students seeking enrichment, we are able to design a custom curriculum with appropriate challenges as kids blaze new territory. These students want to earn their way into advanced math classes beginning in middle school, they want to earn Advanced Placement (AP) credits for college, they have a dream, be it medicine, science, or technology aspirations.

Regardless of whether a child needs to catch up, keep up or wants to get ahead in math, Mathnasium changes lives. By teaching children math so they understand it, master it and love it, math can change their lives and they can change the world!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Mathnasium is a math learning center where we help students of all abilities. Most importantly, we pinpoint specific topics to focus on so we work smarter not harder. We identify gaps for kids who struggle and are able to back it up to where the disconnect happened. By connecting dots from concept to concept we can bridge the difference effectively and efficiently. Once a student’s learning plan is established it becomes a working document reviewed every 8-10 weeks to continuously fine tune student needs. Growth is always measured for parents.

While we are the new owners of the Mathnasium of Highlands, we have been a part of the Mathnasium system for over ten years. I am most proud of the impact we have made with the thousands of kids we have served in our communities. Many of the kids have returned to us as employees, lead instructors and Assistant Center Directors. For us to make an impact on them, and them wanting to make an impact on others is very telling of changing their lives!

We offer no risk assessments for parents to see where their student’s math skills are relative to grade level expectations. COVID caused extensive educational disruptions. There are kids with extenuating gaps, some with limiting behaviors, such as finger counting after third grade, and confusion with problem solving. We share with parents a game plan of how specifically we will serve their child and set up regular quarterly meetings to review progress. I invite any parent to see how their child is doing in math!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite area in Denver Highlands is 32nd Avenue. I enjoy the Farmers Market on Sundays. The pierogi lady has awesome pierogis! My favorite restaurant is Stella Trattoria. I ate there three times over two weeks because I could not stop thinking about their 32nd Ave Pasta. I have enjoyed meeting up with family at Blue Pan Pizza for their Detroit pizza, which I never knew was a thing until I tried it. Detroit pizza is awesome and Blue Pan is excellent. The Edgewater Public Market is a great concept. Something for everyone to eat, very unique options such as Arepas. I’m originally from Texas and Lazo Empanadas are different to me but delicious. Meow Wolf, a Rockies Game, hiking Red Rocks, scootering through town and Pickleball would round out a friend’s visit to the area..

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am particularly grateful to my family and team. What started as a one woman show has turned into a bigger operation. First my kids joined me, then my husband, and a wonderful honorary Lossing, Youngkun, who is the Regional Manager for Mathnasium of Highlands.

Website: Mathnasium.com/highlands

Instagram: @mathnasiumhighlands

Linkedin: Mathnasium (Operated by Lossing Enterprises)

Facebook: Mathnasium of Highlands