Meet Our Team
A dedicated duo blending decades of secondary math education with expert non-profit financial management to empower students nationwide.
Donna Mermel
Executive Director
With over thirty years of financial and leadership experience spanning both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Donna manages our operations with executive precision and a deep, lifelong commitment to helping underserved communities succeed.
Rachel Mermel
Educational Leader & Content Creator
A certified teacher holding a Master’s in Secondary Education, Rachel brings three decades of math tutoring and mentorship experience to our mission, passionately creating resources that give every student an equal right to thrive.
Our Journey Toward Equity
Our history begins with a tutor's notebook, an accountant's spreadsheet, and a shared belief in fairness.
Founding Roots
Decades of tutoring, teaching, and nonprofit work came together in 2026 to form Calculate Success.
Early Steps
Our first milestones included partnering with teachers on DonorsChoose and sharing free STEM materials online.
Dual Impact
We built a model where student leaders fuel technology access, creating a bridge across opportunity gaps.
Growing Reach
Today our digital structure supports national outreach, welcoming donors, teachers, and students into this shared work.
Decades In The Classroom
Before Calculate Success had a name, Rachel spent decades at kitchen tables and classroom desks, helping teens wrestle with algebra, calculus, and the graphing calculators that often felt intimidating. Along the way, she earned a master's degree in secondary education and built a library of lessons, practice sets, and calculator guides. That quiet, steady work shaped our belief that when students understand their tools, their confidence grows, and whole futures can open.
Students Helping Students
Donna and Rachel often saw the same pattern. In some schools, students replaced calculators every few years. In others, students shared one device between friends or skipped advanced classes altogether. Calculate Success grew from a simple, powerful idea, students in resource-rich communities could lead drives, organize fundraisers, and place technology directly into the hands of peers who needed it. Everyone involved would practice leadership while classmates elsewhere gained tools for STEM success.
Transparent, Online Impact
Calculate Success operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every program reflects that responsibility. Donna's thirty years in accounting and nonprofit management guide our systems so donors, teachers, and families can trust how resources move. We work through established teacher request platforms, share our progress openly, and keep outreach, learning materials, and engagement online for nationwide reach. Supporters see resources translated into specific classrooms, students access free STEM materials, and partners know their contributions matter.