2025 Driving Change Award Winner | Dr. Patrick Jones
From Capstone to Catalyst
Receiving the Driving Change Award from the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation isn’t just a personal honor — it’s a symbol of what’s possible when visionary people, powerful networks, and bold ideas collide.
Through MDLF, I’ve discovered how private enterprise and state systems intertwine to support Hoosiers and make Indiana amazing. This isn’t just theory — I’ve lived it. I’ve been in discussions with state education leaders and seen the inner workings of our state’s economic force. The Capstone journey gave me a front-row seat to the engine room of policy, innovation, and leadership. But more than anything, it reminded me that the power to drive change sits in the hands of people willing to act.
My Capstone project — MathWays: Exponentia Prime — is proof. What began as an idea to create math joy and rigor in underserved communities is now serving over 80 students across Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. We’ve launched a math camp, a math competition for K-5, and Math Circles filled with laughter, rigor, and pride.
And the impact?
Children once overlooked are now being identified as high flyers in math. Students who didn’t have an opportunity at their school are now surpassing grade-level expectations. We’ve seen joy come alive — not just in scores, but in the way students talk about math, solve problems, and believe in themselves.
This award isn’t just about me. It’s about the students who now walk into school with their heads high because they know they’re good at something hard. It’s about families who see new possibilities. It’s about the communities that are beginning to see math not as a barrier, but as a bridge.
MDLF empowered me with relationships, strategic insights, and the belief that Indiana is worth investing in — especially its youth. It’s through this fellowship that Exponentia Prime grew wings.
This award isn’t a finish line. It’s fuel. Because our kids deserve spaces where brilliance is expected, not exceptional.
