Personal Narrative: My 100's In Mathematics

I came to the United States at the age of nine from Bangladesh. It was a difficult adjusting period in my life, mostly due to not being able to speak, read, or write English fluently. I forced to skip half of 5th grade because the education system in Bangladesh is from January to December. I recall taking the math state exam and pondering why it was so difficult. I always thought that math was a universal language, so why was it different this time? Were my 100’s in math classes back in Bangladesh lies? No! As time passed, my passion for mathematics waned, yet never fully extinguished. After living in New York for some time OR years, my understanding of the English language improved and it allowed me to understand math once again. In 11th grade,

I took geometry with a teacher who made the subject fun. Everything about geometry made sense, and I became excited about the field that went beyond equations and transcended into the tangible world. My passion for math fully rejuvenated.

Unfortunately, in my senior year, I was not enrolled in any math courses. I was not the most assertive student, and I did not feel the need to clamor about taking additional courses. I dedicated my leisure time to the Student Government and Yearbook Committee. I also connected with the two advisors of the organizations whom I still communicate with today. I used my time to help them serve the student body by managing budgets, attending monthly meetings with school authorities and parents, and organizing events. At the end of the year, I was awarded Student of the Year for Leadership. Although my time was not spent doing math, I gained skills and experiences that made me a better person, many of which still serve me well today.

Thus, the first college math course I took was MA-10: Elementary Algebra in summer 2014, also known as “Remedial Math 101.” After that, I took college Algebra. While chatting with my professor one day, I learned that his field of research was Algebraic Topology. I asked him to explain the field, I became confused, yet excited in hearing about math beyond calculus. When I finally took Calculus the following summer, I found it frustrating, fascinating, and mysterious. It was then I decided that I wanted to make a career out of exploring mathematics.