Will Zawada
Follow Me on Linked In!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-zawada-375555260/
wzawada@wpi.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Hometown: Lancaster, Massachusetts
Class of 2026
Mathematical Sciences Major, Spanish Minor
I love WPI for so many reasons: the flexibility with course requirements, the variety of concentrations within my major, the people, and the sense of community and belonging here is amazing! But as a prospective student, what really drew me to commit to WPI, was its core of project-based learning. I love project-based learning because it allows you to go in-depth, research, and explore "why" and "how" complex concepts work. It's interesting to see how they connect directly to applications in the real-world, especially with math. It's incredible to witness the process, the thinking, and the collaboration that goes behind it! I've had numerous projects here ranging from calculus labs, learning how to program, and exploring linear algebra and its applications, with more to come! I've also always been a very logical thinker and have had a way with numbers, which is why I love learning math! You also can form amazing connections here with other students and faculty. Especially with hands-on research or even through the projects we offer here, for example, the IQP, MQP, or even ones through our other courses here!
If you have any questions about the WPI experience, my involvements, the Math and Spanish program, or just want to chat, reach out to me! I love answering your questions! You can reach me by my email or LinkedIn profile.
Involvements on Campus:
Crimson Key Tour Guide
As part of Crimson Key, I give tours throughout the year to prospective students and their families. Throughout each tour, I'll take questions about WPI and will reflect on my own WPI experience. I love this program so much because I've met a ton of amazing people (who are all featured on this website)! My favorite part of the year is when we're all together giving tours on accepted students day!
Mathematics Club - PR Chair
In math club, I help others while collaborating on math problems. We also play logic games, bond over rectangular graphs, and occasionally give lectures on new math concepts never before seen! Occasionally, surprise guests also pop in from the math department! In an executive role, I've helped make and run a couple of meetings, and also help manage the Instagram page as the PR Chair.
Spanish Fluency Association
In SFA, our goal is to improve our Spanish-speaking abilities through having informal conversations, playing interactive games, and presentations conducted entirely in Spanish!
Running Club
In running club, as a fairly new runner, I'm working on building up stamina, and run approximately 2-4 miles a day. Every afternoon, it's amazing being able to meet and talk with new people, and to explore the sights of Worcester as we run longer distances!
Mathematical Sciences Major
I love being a math major here because there is a lot of flexibility! The math department offers wide variety of different courses every year, which provides a lot of interesting options! With being a math major, you start off by taking a few introductory courses, for example, the calculus sequence, statistics, discrete math, differential equations, and linear algebra, which allow you to explore many different concentrations of math. Then, for the rest of the major, you choose your own concentration for it! I'm mainly hoping to focus my major in applied mathematics with calculus and differential equations, but I know other people who decide to focus the major in probability and statistics, linear algebra, or theoretical math.
Spanish Minor
I started learning Spanish as a second language throughout Junior High and High School. After 6 years of trying to learn the language, I was able to pick up basic phrases and sentences through having conversations, but that was about it. Coming into WPI, I only knew the basics, but I didn't want all of this learning to go to waste. I wanted to learn how to expand Spanish grammar and vocabulary so that I could eventually reach the level where I can speak, read, and interpret the language fluently. At first, it was my goal to complete my humanities requirement for my major through taking Spanish classes here, but I found that I needed more. By completing this minor, I hope to learn even more about Spanish cultures and ultimately learn to speak fluently in Spanish so I can interact with people in Spanish.