It is very rewarding to be involved in several activities that share the common goal of making an impact in the life of someone else. Whether it is being a mentor to undergraduates or fostering an interest in mathematics to middle school students, I have enjoyed each opportunity to provide service to the community.
Greenslopes
For the 2013-2014 academic year, I co-organized the Greenslopes Seminar at Colorado State University. This is a seminar for the graduate students in the Math Department. The purpose is to provide a comfortable and encouraging place for graduate students to discuss their research or interesting problems they have encountered. As an organizer, my duties included finding speakers, finding a common time and room for weekly meetings, maintaining a website, and advertising the talks to the graduate students. The current website can be found Here.
Math Circles
Math Circles at Colorado State is a week-long summer program for local students going into the 8th and 9th grades. The students are introduced to topics that they would not normally see in school in a very hands-on format. I was a volunteer for Math Circles for two years and in this role, I worked directly with the students. I led students on the annual treasure hunt (one of their favorite activities), assisted them during activities presented by group leaders, and helped to ask questions during exploratory exercises. The schedules and slideshows for the most recent Math Circle Camps can be found Here. |
Math Day
Each year, the Colorado State Math Department hosts a competition for the high school students from the state of Colorado and the surrounding area. Students participate in team competitions similar to a college bowl environment. Students also take a Problems Requiring Original and Brilliant Efforts (PROBE) exam for the chance to win a potential college scholarship. I was a volunteer for Math Day for 4 years. I assisted in proctoring the PROBE exam, as well as read questions during the timed team competition events. It's an exciting atmosphere as students from across the state meet and share their love of mathematics.
EDGE (Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education)
In the summer of 2009, I participated in the EDGE program which took place at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. The goal of the EDGE program is to strengthen the ability of women, especially from underrepresented groups, to successfully complete graduate programs in the mathematical sciences. The summer portion of the program was 4 weeks of intensive study in courses in Algebra and Analysis . A close bond was formed between me and the other 15 women in this program. We still keep in touch years later. EDGE also provides a network between program participants from all years. This network provides support to those who are still completing their graduate programs, as well as to all women mathematicians as they strive towards success in their careers. More information can be found Here.
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Peer Mentor
In the 2008-2009 academic year, I was a peer mentor to a group of first year students at the University of Redlands. The University has all incoming freshmen take a First-Year Seminar Course as a way to ease the transition into college. I worked closely with a group of about 18 students throughout their first year of college. As a mentor, I advised the students on registering for classes, I checked in frequently to make sure that everyone was adjusting well to living on campus and to their college classes, and I also assisted the First-Year Seminar professor. This was an enriching experience that allowed me to give back to the University and to help a group of students during a time that can be very stressful.