Mathematics has always intrigued me inside and outside of the classroom. Whether it was balancing my checkbook, or diving into a complicated calculus problem, I enjoyed crunching numbers. My senior year of high school, I decided to take two advanced placement math courses: Calculus BC (a year-long course that consisted of both Calculus I and Calculus II), and AP Statistics. My ultimate goal was to pass both AP exams that were taken at the end of the year. However, long did I know that I would also be awarded the Outstanding Math Student Award of the year by the discretion of my high school math teacher. My senior year was a stressful and challenging year. The two advanced math classes taught me how to prioritize, make short term goals, and how to deal with setbacks. It was a new adjustment that I did not think I was ready for. The first Calculus test was an eye opener. I had received my lowest test score of the year that placed a wall of doubt in my mind. A valuable skill that I got of these classes and accomplishments was the recognition of being able to push though setbacks and the ability to refocus and try even harder. I refused to let that one setback define my entire outcome of that course. I began to constantly ask my …show more content…
My math professor introduced me to the field of Actuarial Science. At a first glance, I had many doubts that consisted of not being able to retain the high level of skills required or by not having the self-motivation to pass all of the actuarial exams. When those doubts came about, all I had to do was think of my accomplishments and remind myself that with self-discipline, hard work, and the willingness to ask for help, I can achieve any challenge thrown my way. When I experience setbacks in the future, I know that I have the ability to overcome them and have the determination to keep striving for my