Zoe Tang '27
First math class at Swarthmore: Math 025. Single Variable Calculus II
What was your favorite math class and why? My favorite math course so far is probably Math 067. Introduction to Modern Algebra (taught by the amazing Professor Cheryl Grood). It was my first proof-writing course, and it did not disappoint. I was intrigued by the fact that even though many algebraic concepts involved relatively simple computations, they were difficult to visualize and think through. It was also very rewarding to successfully prove something after being stuck on it for a long time.
Why did you become a math major? I did not start college as a prospective math major. During my freshman fall, I was a prospective English major, and I took Math 025 simply because I wanted to try it out. As I progressed in the course, I realized that I like to figure things out—I like to ask questions, to work with others on the same problem, and to gradually gain a more thorough understanding of why things are the way they are. While learning math, I can achieve all of these!
It also helped that I was surrounded by many affirming and kind professors in the department, who encouraged me to continue in math. Special shout out to Professor Joseph Nakao, who taught me Math 025.
How do you expect to use your mathematics after leaving Swarthmore? The ultimate goal is to become a math professor and to combine my interests in mathematics and education (I am an educational studies minor).
What advice do you have for an incoming student? Like all other fields, math is challenging and difficult. There have been many times when I have struggled and doubted my abilities, but we should not fear this struggle. At Swarthmore, by doing math with the help of professors and alongside others, I realized that I was never alone. Understanding may take years to achieve, but by seeking help and giving yourself self-compassion and time, it’s certainly possible!
Anything else you'd like to share? There is a quote from a book called Critical Theory Today by Lois Tyson that I will always remember as I continue to study math:
“For knowledge isn’t something we acquire: it’s something we are or something we hope to become. Knowledge is what constitutes our relationship to ourselves and to our world, for it is the lens through which we view ourselves and our world. Change the lens and you change both the view and the viewer. This principle is
what makes knowledge at once so frightening and so liberating, so painful and so utterly, utterly joyful.”
I think that at times, we might fear math because we’re afraid and even ashamed of ourselves—for not knowing, for being an imposter, for not being “good enough.” Yet, if we give what we fear a chance, we’re also giving ourselves a chance. The moment when you muster up the courage to face what you fear is the moment when you realize that you, indeed, can do it.
