It was a math problem without an answer. And yet, we are told that all math problems have a solution. I had started to find the solution to my math problem when I moved to Pittsburgh. I found a family that gave me a place where I was able to shine through the scrambles of the past. I have always relished scraping out answers from well defined number problems, never failing a math test in school. When events would take place at home that broke things apart, I would do my math homework to put them back together in a way I could control. Accounting was introduced to me by my aunt, who was an accountant before being promoted to a business manager. She was the person that showed me it was good to do the things that brought me happiness–math. I looked at what she was doing, always asking questions when she was home. Everything my aunt showed me was my next step in this math problem. Encouraged by this new direction, I attended a program at Point Park University last summer that taught us about the business world. We went on job shadows throughout Pittsburgh, where I learned that business has several pathways to success. Some go in the marketing direction and others explore entrepreneurship. I was most compelled to pursue the accounting pathway. My experience at the accounting firm of Earnst & Young(E&Y) was especially striking. Their workplace was open and friendly with teams working cooperatively together some days and by themselves on others. I learned how employees work together to finish a project. This helped me work with my team at ACAP to make a nonprofit. In a small amount of time, I worked with a group to generate a business plan, including income statements and balance sheets, for our fictional organization. My team created a company that provides eco-friendly items to small-business owners to help increase their profit. Working with people I had never met before under deadline pressure, I learned important skills such as communication, public speaking, and teamwork. We won first place. In that moment, I realized I was no longer searching for the solution, but steadily solving my own equation within the business world. Because I once felt like my own life was a problem without a solution, I am determined to help people find solutions to theirs. Math once allowed me to escape from the difficulties surrounding me, I will use the abilities I have gained from that to solve difficulties for others. I want to show people that our upbringing does not always define the type of person we are, but can create resilience and determination to do better for others. I want to show other young women that there is a place for us in business, even in fields like accounting that are often male-dominated. Math is for everyone. My past experiences have brought me this far. I hope that my future ones will make a change that starts with a small opportunity that grows exponentially from there.