| As an
African-American young woman in the twenty-first century,
I have achieved and accomplished a great deal. Being
a minority from any standpoint that you may look at
it, has given me the willpower and the want to do my
best at whatever it is that I put my mind to. Having
been raised to the tune of Philippians 4:13, which reads,
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me,” has greatly influenced my drive for success.
My name is Danielle C. Graves. I am a sophomore attending
Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, NC.
My major is Applied Mathematics with a minor in Computer
Science. My objective is to obtain the knowledge and
skills at undergraduate and graduate levels that will
enable a successful career in the fields of Mathematics
and Computer Science.
As a student,
I have always had a profound passion for mathematics
and computers. My love for math and passion for computers
strongly influenced my decision in choosing a major
and a minor. Mathematics, because it is and has always
been my best subject and I find great pleasure in problem
solving. Computers, which are becoming a lifeline for
today's society, have always been an interest of mine.
I acknowledged early on that with technology advancing
at the rate that it is, a career in the fields of computer
science and mathematics would be a smart choice for
me, especially as a minority. After obtaining a Bachelor
of Science degree in Applied Mathematics, I plan to
attend graduate school to pursue a Master's degree in
Computer Science and a doctorate degree soon after.
In order
to better prepare myself for graduate school and the
working world, I have not only conducted research at
my instituion, but I have also participated in a summer
internship program. At Elizabeth City State University,
I am a researcher in the Office
of Naval Research (ONR) program. Throughout the
school year, many different training sessions are conducted
to introduce to some and ehance the skills of others
using various software packages and platforms. Thus
far, has allowed me opportunities to work with UNIX,
HTML, C++, Adobe Photoshop, PageMaker, Remote Sensing,
Macromedia Dreamweaver 4.0 and MX, Macromedia Flash,
and Macromedia Authorware. During my freshman year (2001-2002),
I was a member of the
Math of the Great Dismal Swamp Research Team. Our
objective was to use various software presentation packages
to develop a program that would present the water quality
research, history, and geography of the swamp in electronic
format. Our research also included the development of
an interactive game, using mathematics and Great Dismal
Swamp information, that would be used in classrooms
of K-3rd grades.
ONR strongly
encourages its participants to apply and take part in
summer internships. During the summer of 2002, I was
afforded the opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate
Institute in Physics - Research Experience for Undergraduates
(UnIPhy-REU)
at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. The title
of my research was "The Analysis of Fuel Optimal
Periodic Trajectories." The project entailed flying
conventional aircrafts on periodic cruise trajectories
in order to determine if flying periodically is more
fuel-efficient than flying steady-state. In order to
make the data more accessible and easier to analyze,
an analysis package was developed using MATLAB. Thus
far, I have presented my research at the Thomas Jefferson
National Accelerator Facility, better known as "Jefferson
Lab," in Newport News, Virginia, and at the 12th
Annual SOARS Conference, held on the campus of North
Carolina Central University, in the fall of 2002.
My research
experiences have been very useful, informative, and
worthwhile. These experiences are steps that I now am
able to climb in my journey to success. I plan to continue
to conduct research and expand my horizons so that I
will be a well-rounded individual with a broad list
of capabilities.
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