Meaning in Mathematics by Miranda

Meaning in Mathematics by Miranda - October 2016 Scholarship Essay

Few things make sense within the chaos we call existence. Wired to fear the unknown, we are frightened of possibility, because it carries with it an infinity of outcomes. Unpredictability is unavoidable, and the future is a great and terrible mystery. There is only one lens through which we can see the future, and we can look through it only by the guidance of a teacher. If I were to choose to abandon my role of student, I would become a seer and manipulator of reality; that is, a math teacher.

In math, there is always a right answer. The uncertainties of life yield to the seamless symmetry of a perfect equation. The tumult and turmoil of time stops where calculation begins, and solutions remain the same across centuries. I want to give every student the gift of confidence in an answer, because it will one day lead to confidence in life. There is something inexpressibly comforting in a correct answer, a reminder that not everything is as inconstant as it seems. Nothing is impossible to understand with time and dedication. Eventually, the world becomes made up of numbers just waiting to be shaped into wisdom, and the realization of that is both humbling and strengthening.

Mathematics is the language of the universe, and a unifying force that surpasses every division, from race to gender to income to intellectuality. It is the only language accessible to all, pure in communication and elegant in expression. As a passionate teacher, I can use the beauty of math to offer my students a welcome respite from the franticness of daily life, and a deeper understanding of where they fit into it. Every student is a variable, with a place and purpose. There is no greater form of unity than a classroom full of the pride of young people slowly mastering mathematics. Nothing is lost in translation or misunderstood. No one is unimportant. As a math teacher, I can unmistakably convey this empowering truth.