As a Mechanical Engineering major at WPI, I have completed coursework in numerous mathematics and engineering science courses. Prior to starting at WPI, I had taken a few AP classes in high school, including Calculus AB and Statistics, which fulfilled my Mechanical Engineering requirements of Calculus I and II, and Applied Statistics I. At WPI, I have completed the following mathematics courses:

• MA 1023: Calculus III

• MA 1024: Calculus IV

• MA 2051: Ordinary Differential Equations

• MA 2071: Matrices & Linear Algebra I

Additionally, I have completed the following variety of engineering courses, which are heavily math-related:

• ES 2501: Introduction to Static Systems

• ES 2502: Stress Analysis

• ES 2503: Introduction to Dynamic Systems

• ES 3001: Introduction to Thermodynamics

• ES 3004: Fluid Mechanics

• ES 3003: Heat Transfer

• ES 2001: Introduction to Material Science

• FP 3070: Fundamentals of Firesafety

• ECE 2010: Introduction to Electrical & Computer Engineering

I completed the course ES 1310: Introduction to Computer-Aided Design, and following the completion of the course, I have been working as a Peer-Learning Assistant (PLA) for new sections of the course. I started by working in the actual computer labs for the course, but also shifted to the online environment by aiding students over Zoom meetings.

My experiences in the above-listed courses has built upon my strong foundation of mathematics skills, preparing me well in the content knowledge and understanding needed for middle school mathematics. My position as a PLA for the ES 1310 course has helped me to develop my skills in conveying my knowledge of content material to other students.

My experience at WPI has included a multitude of projects each year, incorporating real-world applications of class concepts in examples. WPI emphasizes the mantra "theory and practice," which is evident in the project-based learning approach. Conceptual knowledge of new subject material is important as a foundation for learning, but the understanding stems from and is demonstrated in applying that knowledge through project work and real-world examples. My project-based learning at WPI has allowed me to consider more methods of incorporating connections to the real world, whether that be through a word problem or discussing where a specific mathematical topic might appear in our current lives.

The student teaching practicum experience serves as my WPI Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP). For these IQPs, students work on an interdisciplinary team to solve a problem. The student teaching practicum differs from the typical WPI IQP experience that most students imagine, but the project-based learning is still highly incorporated. Student teaching has been the most intensive of my project experiences at WPI, and through it, I have learned what a typical experience might have taught and more. Through student teaching, I worked on a team with my Supervising Practitioner in planning for lessons and class structure. I also worked with my Supervising Practitioner and Program Supervisor in reflecting on and strengthening my skills in pedagogy. Working with students has challenged me to think of different ways to convey my information and knowledge for them to learn and advance their own skills. Additionally, in seminars with our Program Director and my fellow teaching candidates, we have all considered and faced multiple problems in the classroom and worked together to determine potential solutions.