1. How did you end up in AP Calculus as a sophomore?

During my freshman year, I earned top scores on the math and science sections of the ACT. To keep pushing myself in math, I completed an online precalculus course over the summer. That satisfied the prerequisites for me to take AP A/B Calculus this year as a sophomore. I’m committed to continue to challenge myself and grow in math, and I’m grateful to my teachers and administrators for their support.

2. What interests you about math and why?

From a young age, my parents recognized my interest in math, and they found ways to introduce math concepts to me in fun and exciting ways. As I have grown, I have come to realize how powerful math truly is in terms of understanding the world and how things work. I believe math is integral to improving the human experience.

3. Could you describe a time where you got stuck on a tricky math problem? What did you do to get past it?

There was this one problem in my AP Calculus class where there was very limited information given. It required innovation and understanding of basic physics to get past. At first, I was puzzled, as I hadn’t encountered problems of this difficulty in an actual class before. However, when I realized what I had to do, I understood to look for those sorts of pathways in the future. Specifically, two things were required: an understanding of similar triangles and the principle of the conservation of volume. I was amazed by the insight required and I will be on the lookout for similar situations in the future.

4. What is a math concept you think students should learn earlier? Why?

For me, one concept that was most beneficial to learn ahead of class was algebraic simplification. It has broad applicability and unlocks a lot of higher-level abstractions. Generally speaking, I have had a much better experience learning math when I have introduced myself to the classroom material before the teacher has.

5. What is the coolest math trick or shortcut you have learned?

The best timesaver I ever learned was to not rely on calculators. When you write things down on paper instead of calculating each step, you open up opportunities to cancel units and factors to get the same answer more efficiently and accurately. Some of what I’ve done involves factors of pi, which is an irrational number. It is much better for it to cancel out.