Personal Statement
I spent a few years after high school believing that medical school was my calling. I spent countless hours studying the anatomy of the human body before realizing that this direction wasn’t making me happy. I have always been good at math; I thoroughly enjoyed all my math classes throughout middle and high school. I wanted to choose a degree that would mean something, and allow me to help make change in the world. I finally came to the conclusion, one day in winter quarter, that I needed to change my degree and pursue mathematics. From this point on all I had to choose was to pursue a Bachelors of Arts or a Bachelor’s of Science. If I chose a Bachelors of Arts then I could be a teacher but this felt too limited. If I chose a Bachelor’s of Science then my educational journey would be hard but my post-graduation opportunities would be vast.
A family friend, Ashley, helped me finally commit to mathematics after sharing her story about how she came to receive the job she has now. At my age Ashley had completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics and was working her way to receiving her Masters in Applied Statistics. After graduation she taught at the University of Washington, while conducting statistical reports for research data collected by The Washington state department of fish and wildlife. All this sounds quite normal, but the next chapter in Ashley’s life is something I consider extraordinary. It came when she applied for a position with the national government as a research statistician. Now Ashley travels the world, deployed by the United Nations, to countries for months at a time to help less advanced governments compile and apply their research to improve water purification systems, and energy conservation methods so electricity can be provided to homes. All because she chose to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics.
My experience upon attending the required courses for my B.S. in Mathematics were mixed. Some classes were easy to follow and I was excited when I could make connections between previous course content and current course content. I was amazed how many parallels there are in different mathematics courses. What differentiation concepts you learned in a calculus course was seen applied to abstract mathematics, or numerical methods. Other courses though were challenging and required much effort to gain any rough understanding of, this mainly came from the introduction to analysis course. Although I fought for my grade every week, and watched as it slowly improved, I came very close to withdrawing from the course. It wasn’t till I was able to speak with other members of mathematics department that I learned this course was one of the most challenging. Somehow learning that many others struggled just like me through this course made me want to push through till the end. I gained more respect for mathematics and mathematicians in that course than I ever had from any other course I had taken thus far. The amount of commitment that Cauchy, Euclid, or Pythagoras put into their works, no matter how inevitably accurate or not that they were, was inspiring. From then on I knew I was going to see this degree through till the end, no matter the challenge. We all learn something new, at any age and in any place, and there is no reason I cannot do the same.
Other than the perseverance to learn not matter the challenges, I have a few other large takeaways from this program. One is that math is important, we all knew this when we started this degree program but I have learned just how vast the applications are for mathematics in the real world. Beyond simple application, without mathematics we would not have structurally sound buildings, be able to track the progression of a disease, send anyone or anything into space, or even know how to properly prescribe medications to sick patients. Just knowing how much math is necessary for these few real-world scenarios to exist makes me proud to be finishing this degree as strongly as I can. Another takeaway from this program is that although we have a multitude of courses to take to be considered for a B.S. in Mathematics, many of the program’s required courses are intertwined. Beyond the prerequisites that should be related to a more advanced course, almost every course I took each semester could be related to one another. This in turn allowed me to gain a deeper understanding for theorems or applications because I was learning the same material, in various application settings. Like I mentioned before, these connections helped me to increase my level of understanding for a math concept, now whether this was the intention of Indiana University or not I don’t know, but I will forever credit my understanding to the professors, historical mathematics figures, and this sheer happenstance relation.
My knowledge of mathematics thus far has allowed me get a job that utilizes modeling methods, and statistics every day. I love my job because, although I lacked the certificates and degree specified for the position, my knowledge of math and my pursuit of a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics allowed me to stand out above all the other applicants. My hopes for the future are to enter a Masters in Applied Statistics and possibly a few certificate courses as well. Upon completion I hope to utilize my degree in working for the federal or national government, or a scientific research company as well as apply for a position as an officer in the National Guard like my grandfather. It is my greatest hope that my experience as a mathematician and knowledge in mathematical methods will allow me to help compile and make sense of vital data that will aid in the advancement of human life.