If anyone had told me as a child that I would be where I am today, I would have found it laughable. Pursuing a PhD in mathematics is the farthest thing from what I expected to be doing at this point in my life, but here I am.
I grew up in the small town of Winona, MS. With a population of roughly 5,000, the small public high school that I attended lacked the funding for many diverse or advanced courses. Despite this, I sought knowledge wherever I could find it. I spent much of my time reading books from the local library and the internet, but I longed for more first-hand experiences. Though I never suffered, my parents did not have the means to travel. My first real foray outside of small-town life came from an opportune trip to New Orleans with a family friend. My experience there started me on the path that I'm still on today.
Nearly all of those who graduated from Winona High School, if they chose to attend college, matriculated to one of the large state schools or community colleges. It was very rare for a student from my town to pursue higher education outside the state, let alone at a prestigious university. However, I was determined to get the absolute most that I could from my educational experience. With their generous scholarships and support, Tulane gave me that chance.
Many in my hometown were skeptical that I could be successful at Tulane, owing to the lack of advanced preparation from my high school. However, determination to succeed overcame the gaps. Originally, I intended to major in biochemistry and pursue a medical career. Calculus I & II happened to be required courses for the major, and my experiences in those classes led me to switch my major to math. As a child, I did not care for math as much as other subjects. Learning it was more difficult for me in comparison. It was that rigor that ultimately led me to continue in the subject; that and the ability to apply the subject to problems in other fields that I care about. I'm thankful that I have the privilege to continue my journey at Emory. Math continues to challenge me in new and exciting ways, and I can't wait to spend my career sharing that experience with new students.
My hope is that my life experiences and educational growth can be an inspiration to those who come from similar backgrounds. Though you may not have as many opportunities as others, you can find ways to learn and to grow. Though you may feel that math proficiency is unachievable for you, there is a method out there for you if you desire to learn. I have rarely found that anyone is truly bad at math; they just haven't found the right teacher.
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