I’ve had a love for mathematics ever since the first grade. I was in Mrs. Avitable’s class, and we had just mastered our addition and subtraction tables. She had challenged us to the “Mad Minute”, a month-long activity in which we had sixty seconds to solve as many problems as possible. I crunched those numbers as hard as a first grader could, and by the end of the month, I was the only student in the class to reach the advanced level: double digit operations. Math became a language for me that distinguished me from my peers. I started noticing patterns in math equations; how digits in multiples of nine always added to nine, how if you multiply a number by five you could also divide that number by two then multiply it by ten to get the same answer. I was able to memorize formulas quickly because I could picture the problems clearly in my head. My math skills were always above my grade level, so I always had more of an opportunity in class to not only apply formulas, but understand why the application would be appropriate by relating concepts to one another. As Albert Einstein once said, “pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas”. Math became my source of creativity and connection. I love having an ultimate end goal, and exploring the countless possibilities for ways in which to get there. I also enjoy helping others along their arithmetic progression. I have spent my study period in my AP Calculus teacher’s room assisting underclassmen with their algebraic lessons, and found myself once helping a student I’d never met before with geometry after the school day had ended. My younger brother has become fascinated with basic linear algebra; he’ll beg me to come up with more examples for him because he takes great pride in understanding the concepts for himself. Through that, I am able to role model for him what an enthusiastic student does to pursue their mathematics education, and resultantly strengthen our relationship over a shared love of learning. I want my contributions in the math world to be meaningful, and bring people together to create a better environment from which we can foster growth and productivity. Math can unite people, and I aspire to utilize my skills as a Math major to do just that.

I’ve had a love for mathematics ever since the first grade. I was in Mrs. Avitable’s class, and we had just mastered our addition and subtraction tables. She had challenged us to the “Mad Minute”, a month-long activity in which we had sixty seconds to solve as many problems as possible. I crunched those numbers as hard as a first grader could, and by the end of the month, I was the only student in the class to reach the advanced level: double digit operations. Math became a language for me that distinguished me from my peers. I started noticing patterns in math equations; how digits in multiples of nine always added to nine, how if you multiply a number by five you could also divide that number by two then multiply it by ten to get the same answer. I was able to memorize formulas quickly because I could picture the problems clearly in my head. My math skills were always above my grade level, so I always had more of an opportunity in class to not only apply formulas, but understand why the application would be appropriate by relating concepts to one another. As Albert Einstein once said, “pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas”. Math became my source of creativity and connection. I love having an ultimate end goal, and exploring the countless possibilities for ways in which to get there. I also enjoy helping others along their arithmetic progression. I have spent my study period in my AP Calculus teacher’s room assisting underclassmen with their algebraic lessons, and found myself once helping a student I’d never met before with geometry after the school day had ended. My younger brother has become fascinated with basic linear algebra; he’ll beg me to come up with more examples for him because he takes great pride in understanding the concepts for himself. Through that, I am able to role model for him what an enthusiastic student does to pursue their mathematics education, and resultantly strengthen our relationship over a shared love of learning. I want my contributions in the math world to be meaningful, and bring people together to create a better environment from which we can foster growth and productivity. That’s what inspired me to also pursue a business concentration; I want to use mathematical applications of real-world situations to help businesses make informed decisions and reach wider audiences. In particular, I want to empower other women with interest in mathematics. We can learn more from one another by creating more opportunities for women like myself to experience hands-on learning and feel like they have a voice in the work setting and beyond. Math can unite people, and I aspire to utilize my skills as a Math major to do just that.