Ever since I was able to talk I have had an interest in numbers. At times I wonder if it was because my mom was a bank teller and often took me to work with her.  Once adding and subtracting was introduced to me, I was found in my spare time playing with addition and subtraction flash cards. The older I got, the more time I set aside just for math. Most people may assume that I was leaning in the direction of becoming a math teacher, but my mind was set on something bigger. Throughout my middle school years and in high school, I continued to excel in all my math classes, not because it was expected but because I enjoyed doing it. Algebra, Geometry, Statistics were, and always will be my favorites!

My senior year of high school came fast and so did choosing what college I wanted to go to. The whole process of applying to colleges was scary for me because no one in my family really talked about it. I was the first out of all my siblings to not only think, but also apply for college. I applied to various schools and had it all planned out. I was accepted into Virginia Union University where I now major in Mathematics. With my degree in Mathematics I am leaning more towards applied mathematics.

At the end of the fall semester 2012, while taking my final my teacher/advisor, Mr. Kaiem Frink, slid an application on my desk and told me to talk to him when I finished my test.  After my test, we stepped in the hall and he told me that he was a student at Elizabeth City State University and that is where the internship was going to be. Mr. Frink from that day forward helped me shape my resume and statement of goals for the internship. I began the internship on May 20,2013 at Elizabeth City State University and it consisted of two research projects. The first was with Watershed Watch, the title of the project produced is, The Watermark Project:  Human Actions Impacting the Quality of Water. Jeff Schloss, from University of New Hampshire, was my mentor. The second project is entitled, A Comparative Study of the 2011/2013 Water Quality Assessments in the Pasquotank Watershed in Northeastern North Carolina (CSWQAPW).  Jeff Wood, from Elizabeth City State University, was my mentor. Both of these projects dealt with the quality of water in, or surrounding Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The Watermark Project compared the different qualities of water in developmental, agricultural, and the controls (swamp waters). The second project, CSWQAPW, compared the water quality indices of the Pasquotank River and its tributaries to a previous study conducted in 2011.  These experiences will help me when I am ready to apply to graduate schools.

Speaking of graduate school, I am looking forward to pursue my Masters of Science, Mathematics. While pursuing my Masters degrees, I will also look for various job opportunities. Eventually, I will go on to get my Ph.D. in Mathematics.