Math Memoir The Series Part 3

 I am loving getting to read everyone's stories... keep them coming.

Submitted by Marshall Kaatz 

When I was little, my parents had me do extra math at home after school. I never thought anything of it. In 6th grade, my teacher had me do the final project for math and the beginning of the year as an example for my classmates. I didn’t think anything of it. In 7th grade, the grade 8 class would ask me for help with their math at recess, knowing fully well that I hadn’t learned the material yet, and I helped them. I didn’t think anything of it. In 9th grade, I placed nationally in a math contest; I was at a new school, and my classmates seemed almost mad for outperforming their previous champion. I didn’t think anything of it. In 10th grade I placed nationally again in the contest, earning myself an invite to a math camp at the local university. I didn’t think anything of it. In 11th grade, I placed nationally for the third time, earning an invite to an exclusive math camp halfway across the country at one of the top universities. 

I didn’t think anything of it. In 12th grade, I placed nationally in two contests, earning scholarships and awards, setting records at my high school. I applied to business school at my local university. In my first year, I wrote 2 math contests. The first was local, and I came first out of all undergraduates who wrote it. The second was the Putnam, again placing first out of all undergraduates who wrote it at my school. I didn’t think anything of it. But then I stopped having math in my life, and I started missing it. I never realized the impact it had made on me. I got a job teaching math to kids of all ages, from counting to calculus. I started tutoring high school and university students. Most importantly, I transferred from business school to the department of mathematics. Today I’m a year away from finishing my undergrad, but I plan on taking my education well beyond that. 

Math has always played a big role in my life, but I didn’t realize until recently just what it truly means to me. Math is what makes the world make sense. Math is the reason I do or think anything I do or think. Math is truly the underlying structure of my life. I’m just glad to finally return the love it has shown me all these years, and I hope to eventually contribute enough of myself back into the world of math to truly provide the thankfulness I feel for math raising me through my childhood.