My name is Rashida L. Williams.  I am a Junior Mathematics major with a minor in Secondary Education at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) located in Elizabeth City, NC.  I found my love for mathematics in middle school when we were introduced to Pythagoras’ Theorem.  The magic of the triangle sparked a fuse within that gave me the desire to want to learn how numbers are manipulated.  Therefore, I decided to further my education in mathematics hoping to spread the knowledge acquired.  Furthermore, I hope to find more exciting, unique ways of problem solving as a teacher, while encouraging the students to pursue degrees in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

In the second semester of my freshman year, I was awarded a scholarship with the Center of Excellence and Remote Sensing Education Research (CERSER) program, directed by Principle Investigator, Dr. Linda B. Hayden.  As a participant of the program, I attend conferences, workshops, and trainings that provide the skills and tools that are needed to become successful as a STEM major, leading to a STEM career.

During academic year 2013-2014, I was a member of the mathematics education team, mentored by Dr. Darnell Johnson.  The title of our project was “Successful Transition from Math 8 to Math 1 (formerly, algebra 1).”  The purpose of the project was to evaluate challenges eight grade students must overcome to be successful in Math 1 in accordance to the North Carolina Common Core State Standards (NC-CCSS) in K-12 mathematics, adopted in 2010 by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. By the completion of my freshman year, I was further committed to becoming a math educator. 

During academic year 2014-2015, the mathematics education team, also mentored by Dr. Darnell Johnson, decided to get parents involved.  The title of the project was “Enhancing Parent Involvement in North Carolina Common Core State Standards (NC-CCSS) for K-2 mathematics at P.W. Moore Elementary School.”  The purpose of this project was to inform parents of the NC-CCSS. We also provided a workshop enhancing parents’ awareness of different methods of problem solving when assisting the students with homework.

In the future, the goal is to further my education by pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees in mathematics, while becoming a successful mathematics educator.  In the meantime, I am continuing with the CERSER program and actively seeking internships that will expand my knowledge in the STEM field.