“I have learned great things from each professor and I know what things I will want to implement in my future career as well.”
With intended majors in Mathematics and Computer Science, Zoya’s passion for math started when she was young, always having enjoyed helping others with their math homework and appreciating her own math teachers. In the future, she hopes to become a professor to continue being a helpful person to others. Zoya has become especially inspired to become a professor due to her appreciation for her own Mathematics and Computer Science professors at Gustavus. While she has found her courses to be rigorous, she has felt the genuine care of her professors for their students. In her Introduction to Statistics course with Professor Downey, for example, while she was expecting not to like it and had never enjoyed statistics before, Zoya says, “she made it bearable and even fun. It was never something I dreaded going to”. Professor Downey is also one of Zoya’s favorite professors, and someone that she adores both as a person and as a professor. She also appreciates Professor LoFaro and Professor Siehler within the Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics Department, who have also been very helpful to her and whom she has built important relationships with. Through the material that Zoya has learned from the faculty of her Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics courses she feels prepared for future opportunities in her career path, like graduate school. She says her professors have helped her “understand what works for students like me and what doesn’t, and what are good ways of grading systems and which aren’t, which can all benefit my future teaching career”. In addition to her time spent in the Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics Department, Zoya is also involved as the pianist for the Gustavus Wind Orchestra, and is a member of Asian Student Union, HACO, OLAS, Gustavus Bands Outreach, Swing Dance, and AUA.