Heather's Journey in Math Education

Heather Wilkinson, a math education major, shares her journey and experiences at Weber State University. She highlights the supportive environment, small class sizes, and opportunities for hands-on teaching experience. Motivated by her own high school experiences, Heather aims to be a different kind of math teacher. She encourages girls to pursue math, emphasizing that success is possible in a male-dominated field.

What motivated Heather to choose math education as her major?

• Her desire to work in a corporate environment

• Her interest in working with teenagers

• Her passion for science

• Her love for teaching young children

What is one of the benefits of the math program at Weber State mentioned by Heather?

• Supportive professors

• Limited access to professors

• Lack of resources

• Large class sizes

How does Heather describe the community at Weber State?

• Isolated and distant

• Disconnected and large

• Close-knit and interactive

• Competitive and challenging

What opportunity did Heather's math professor offer her?

• An internship at a tech company

• A research position

• A scholarship for further studies

• A teaching role at a junior high

What was Heather's motivation to become a math teacher?

• Her positive experiences with all her high school math teachers

• Her desire to be different from some of her high school math teachers

• Her interest in becoming a scientist

• Her ambition to work in a university

What challenge does Heather mention about being a woman in math?

• Difficulty in understanding math concepts

• Limited career opportunities

• Lack of interest in math

• Intimidation due to gender stereotypes

What advice does Heather give to high school girls interested in math?

• Focus on male-dominated fields only

• Avoid taking math classes in college

• Explore math classes in college and persevere

• Choose a different major