Key Hartwick Activities: Honors Program, Student Union, WRHO
Career Plans: I'm looking into graduate school, possibly for applied math or engineering. I'm also giving a lot of consideration to teaching.
Most Influential Class: Junior Seminar in Mathematics was different from any other math class I have ever taken. It was a J Term class where every week we had to prove several theorems and present our proofs to the class, taking questions as they came up. I've always been good at math, but I've always had a problem explaining the way I do things. This class really taught me how to speak the language of mathematics and communicate mathematics to others. The presentations sparked my interest in teaching. As a result, I'm going to be the supplemental instructor for the physics department to explore the possibility of teaching.
Outstanding Experience: When I was in high school, the only extracurricular activity I had was band. I wasn't the type to speak up and had no real leadership experience. After being involved in Student Union for a semester, I was asked to be on the Executive Board for the next year. I turned it down at first due to my lack of experience, but I was convinced to give it a try. Soon enough, I was learning how to coordinate events and how to be an effective leader. I made a few mistakes, but they were valuable learning experiences. My involvement in Union led me to try other things, as well, such as WRHO, Student Senate, and Circle K. Student Union helped me to come out of my shell and gain confidence. It also opened me up to new, wonderful experiences.
About My Professors: Math professor Ron Brzenk has played a key role. For instance, on an exam, I wrote a proof for a mathematical theorem differently from the way he had done it, and he gave me only partial credit. I felt my proof was correct, so I went to his office to discuss it with him. He had provided a counter example to a conclusion he felt I didn't justify in my proof. I argued that his counter example didn't really correspond to what I had done, and we ended up going back and forth for an hour discussing the way I had done the proof. Ultimately I was able to make my argument much clearer through talking with him. I really enjoyed defending my work, and Professor Brzenk really challenged me to find ways of presenting it in a clear, convincing manner. When it comes to evaluating learning, test and quizzes are all right, but the kind of discussion I had with Professor Brzenk is ideal. I walked out of his office satisfied because I knew I had truly learned the material.
