Math Journey

From elementary school through high school, I was an inconsistent student. The main challenge for my parents and teachers was keeping me interested. In high school, my focus shifted to football, where I did well. Despite my struggles, I occasionally showed strong academic potential when a topic caught my attention — though this was often sporadic.

When I first entered university, I was not well prepared and struggled academically. After a difficult first year, I found my footing and eventually earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), graduating with Highest Honors. During my undergraduate years, I worked various jobs (including serving tables and recycling) and later worked in a neuroimaging lab at the UT Health Science Center. I also completed an internship with a licensed professional counselor.

After graduation, I became unsure about my long-term career path. Although I enjoyed psychology, I had not given much thought to my major when I first entered college. After reading books by Feynman and Sagan, I became interested in pursuing a career in STEM. I initially hoped to become a physicist and returned to community college before enrolling again at UTSA. Since I did not yet have a strong background in mathematics, I looked for opportunities that would allow me to practice math and physics every day. I applied for a tutor position in the UTSA Math Lab, and I was fortunate that the supervisors were willing to give me a chance.

Tutoring in the Math Lab exposed me to many areas of mathematics and helped me build a sense of community, which ultimately inspired me to switch majors one final time to mathematics. I went on to complete both a B.S. and an M.S. in mathematics at UTSA. In the fall of 2020, I joined the mathematics department at UC Irvine as a doctoral student. Since then, I have been active in research, service, and outreach within both the department and the broader community. I feel very fortunate for the support I received from my professors along the way and for the opportunities I have had that I never would have imagined earlier in my academic career. If there is one lesson from my experience, it is to continuously engage with mathematics - even when you're lost and progress feels slow.