2018 Senior Stories
Two students took Math 412 Connections Seminar in Spring 2018. Here are their short personal stories.
Lydia Miller
In December 2014, I stepped onto Goshen’s campus in deep, deep snow, not expecting the sidewalks and the buildings to eventually be my home. It was my senior year of high school, and I was there to interview for the President’s Leadership Award, even though I knew I probably wasn’t going to end up at Goshen. I had my eyes on big name schools in the East, and I was considering Goshen mostly as a safety school.
How then, did I end up the next day babbling to my mom on the phone about the amazing experience I had, and all the people I’d met, and how I was absolutely coming to Goshen, no doubt? Something about this place rubbed off on me, even after that short amount of time. And looking back, although my experience was so different from what I imagined, I know that I made the right choice.
I chose my major not having any specific ideas or goals for my future, just knowing I love math and I’d probably figure things out along the way. And I have figured some stuff out. I figured out that college teaches you so much more than the content of your major, it helps you learn who you are and who you want to be in the world.
In the last few years, I’ve learned by doing. I’ve traveled to Ecuador, to Senegal, to India. I’ve done research in the mountains of Oregon, and I’ve worked several jobs. I’ve taken classes in art, music, writing, women’s and gender studies, peace justice and conflict studies, philosophy, economics, and computer science. I’ve been a part of the ecological stewardship committee, EcoPax and Women in STEM clubs, and I’ve played many a season of intramural volleyball and soccer. I’ve figured out what aspects of my inherited Mennonite culture and faith I want to let go, and what parts I want to claim and integrate into my life.
That last bit really encapsulates a lot of intentions are at this point. I’m working to figure out what I want to claim and integrate into my life, from people, to experiences, from lifestyle to goals and career. There are some people that I’ve met that I know will continue to be part of my life long after graduation. And I’ve learned that I care deeply about justice issues, and that whether or not activism work is a part of my formal job, it will always be a part of my life. I’ve learned that I have a passion for math and research, that I enjoy the world of academia, and that I love to work hard, keep asking questions, challenge myself, and to broaden my abilities.
Next year, I’ll stay in Goshen so I can be close to my parents and grandparents, and I’ll continue a recently acquired internship at a local software development firm. I’ll continue tutoring and teaching math to grade school kids in Goshen, and I’ll take the GRE and start applying to grad schools. I’m interested in looking for PhD programs in applied math, statistics, or economics. But we’ll see – each year as I learn more, my priorities shift and change focus, and I’m excited to see where I end up.
Colleen Weldy
I was born in the summer of 1994, on August the 5th in South Bend, Indiana. I grew up on a farm in nearby Wakarusa, where my dad worked in a local factory while my mom stayed at home to care for my elder sister and I. Once I began school, my mom began working as an art teacher at a nearby Catholic school. Growing up on a farm, I was also able to participate in the 4-H Fair, which happily occupied a large portion of each summer. In the ten years from third grade to my senior year of high school, I showed swine for eight years and rabbits for four years. Throughout my schooling, I always enjoyed my mathematics courses, and I would always take the highest classes each of my schools offered. When I graduated high school, however, I was unsure about what I wanted to do as a career, nor did I know where to attend college.
In the end I decided to attend Goshen College for a few different reasons. The first reason was that I am a Mennonite; I liked that I would be surrounded by other students who share my faith and values. I soon came to find that GC was not just for Mennonite students, but rather for a more diverse population, thus letting me participate in many conversations that challenged and helped me to grow. Another reason I chose GC was the fact that it was close to my home. I had to be able to pay for my own schooling, so I needed a school that was both close to home, so that I could commute to/from school, and I also needed a school that would be affordable for me with working part-time at a local drug store. Upon applying and seeing what types of aid I could get from the school, GC was obviously going to be my best option. I began as a chemistry major at GC, then switched to a mathematics education major after my sophomore year.
However, as a commuter student, I was not expecting to have the typical “college experience” many of my other childhood friends would experience. I wouldn’t have the freedom many young adults experience, nor would I as easily feel the sense of independence most experience during college. Mostly, I was not expecting to make those life-long bonds many students create as they go through living close to one another. Today, as a “super” (fifth year) senior, I am happy to report that I was wrong on the latter. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the commuter students created their own community within the college, where we could share a space, stories, and experiences with one another. Some of the closest friends I have today came from being in the Commuter Lounge, a space where commuter students can go to relax, do homework, or meet other commuter students before/between/after classes.
Now that my time at GC is coming to a close, I look forward to becoming a math teacher at a local middle or high school in the coming year. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead.