Math and Data Science Student Spotlight
The Math and Data Science Student Spotlight is your opportunity to learn a bit more about one of your fellow Math and Data Science majors at UNL. This week, Erica Pearce from Lincoln, Nebraska, is in the spotlight.
Name: Erica Pearce
Major: Mathematics
Year in School: Sophomore
Where are you from?
I am from Lincoln, Nebraska.
What gets you excited about Math?
If I could sit and do math problems all day for fun, I would. I love the process and the satisfaction of getting a difficult problem correct. I love math because there is a correct answer as opposed to most of the humanities. Math is often objective and I feel that anyone who works hard at it, has a passion for math, and has a good teacher is capable of being a mathematician.
Favorite math class or instructor so far? Why?
My favorite math class so far has been Differential Equations because I enjoyed looking at derivatives and integrals from a different point of view. I am a big fan of the “process” of doing math, or learning methods to solve complicated problems and that was essentially what that course was.
What are you excited about doing after graduation?
I am still exploring my options for after graduation, but I am seriously considering graduate school at this point. In general, I am excited to find a career that involves the mathematical skills I have learned in college.
What is a goal you have accomplished as a Husker?
One of my goals coming into college was to join clubs and get involved. I am happy to say that I did achieve this goal. I have attended events put on by the Math Club and the Association of Women in Mathematics, and I have met great people who share my love of math. I am also a part of some other clubs on campus that I really enjoy like the Orchesis Dance Club, Big Red Readers, and the Marvel Bunch.
What do you wish you would have known when you started as a Math Major that you know now?
I wish that I knew that professors and instructors are there to help you and all you have to do is ask. Office hours are a resource to use if and when you have questions. I also recommend looking into all the other resources available to math majors like the undergraduate math lounge.
What do you hope to cross off your “bucket list” in the next few years?
One of my math bucket list items is to get a math related internship over the summer. I am a big reader, so one of my non-math bucket list items is to read the Lord of the Rings sometime in the next couple years.
If you would like to see yourself in the spotlight, please contact Doug for more information.