Meet our Noyce Scholars

2024-25

Cece Chu

Madeline Donnellan Valade

Audrey Parker

Isabelle Telford

Since early in elementary school, I have had an interest in teaching and a love for math. Growing up in Portsmouth, NH, I was lucky to have teachers who supported my passion for mathematics and demonstrated what it looks like to help students develop into the best versions of themselves. While my career interests changed over time, teaching was one area I always came back to thanks to those teachers. Having experienced a few different school systems in different countries, I came to appreciate the creativity that my teachers in the United States harnessed to make content more accessible and engaging for their students. I began to think about what it would look like to maximize that access and engagement, and while studying mathematics at the University of British Columbia and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, decided that I would pursue a career in high school math education. I spent some time teaching on the North Shore after graduating with my bachelor’s degree, and am incredibly grateful to be able to continue to learn about how to realize my goals of access and engagement in my own classrooms through the Noyce Scholarship at Boston University.

Ange Wunderle

I grew up in the small town of Chester, Vermont and graduated from Green Mountain Union High School in 2020. I went to Drew University in Madison, New Jersey with the plan of majoring in mathematics and minoring in dance. By the end of my sophomore year, I also added minors in French and teaching. With the support of faculty members at Drew, I began exploring how all of my interests were connected and could be used to support one another. For my senior thesis, I researched the benefits of bringing movement into math classrooms and how dance can enhance our learning experience. When looking for MAT programs, I knew I wanted to find a program that would support untraditional learning environments and connecting math to other aspects of the world. I am grateful that, with the support of the Noyce Scholarship Program, I am able to continue my education at Boston University and explore how to truly make math engaging for everyone!

2023-24

Steve Campanella

From an early age I was drawn to community service and mentoring kids. While in middle and high school (West Hartford, CT) I volunteered with the Special Olympics, went on mission trips with my church to rebuild communities ravaged by natural disasters, and served meals at homeless shelters. I have tutored in numerous settings, volunteered at after-school programs, and became a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in 2015. More recently I’ve continued to volunteer and been active as an advocate for mental-health awareness and suicide prevention.

I have loved math for as long as I can remember, and becoming a math teacher and soccer coach was my earliest career dream. When heading off to Providence College, I knew mathematics would be my major. I minored in business, hoping this would open more doors for employment. After graduating, I worked 11 years in several industry sectors and in increasingly senior corporate roles involving data analytics, product management, and digital product development. After finding myself unfulfilled and unhappy on the corporate path to success, I chose to prioritize my own mental health and decided it was time to pursue my dream of teaching.

Today I’m thrilled and grateful that, with support from the Noyce Scholarship Program, I find myself forging ahead on a path where my lifelong career goal and my passion for service to others are merging.

2022-23

Victoria Bruno

I grew up in the small town of Plattsburgh, New York. I attended Saranac High School and graduated in 2017. Then, I attended St. Lawrence University and graduated in 2021. As an eager undecided freshman, I decided to take a variety of classes to figure out what I wanted to major in. As my college career progressed, I found myself taking more and more math classes. So, I decided to become a mathematics major. After taking multiple math courses, I worked as a mentor at the Peterson Quantitative Resource Center (PQRC) at St. Lawrence University. The PQRC is a center for college students to receive support in any math, statistics, or computer science classes. This was my first tutoring job and I really enjoyed it. After I graduated from St. Lawrence, I was unsure what type of career I wanted that involved my passion for mathematics. So, I decided to work for a year as a substitute teacher at my alma mater, Saranac High School. As a substitute teacher, I would often help students with their assignments. This taught me that I truly enjoy teaching math to high school students. Thanks to the NOYCE Scholarship, I am able to achieve my goal of becoming a math teacher while attending my dream school at Boston University.

Rachel Cameron

I grew up just outside Charleston, SC where I attended public schools for my K-12 education, and I got my bachelor’s from NYU with a major in math. I changed my mind a lot about what to do when I graduated, but at some point I realized my favorite jobs had been working as a math tutor and a camp counselor and that I had to at least try out teaching. I spent a year as a substitute in my hometown and I knew within my first week of it that teaching is the career for me. I adored my math classes in high school and I was lucky enough to attend high-performing public schools, and now I hope for the chance to show other kids the endless possibilities math can open up for them. I also witnessed first-hand in South Carolina just how unequal our public schools can be, and I hope to dedicate my career to serving public school students.

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Grace Lemersal

I grew up in San Diego, California, which is where I attended all of my K-12 schooling, and I graduated with my bachelor’s in mathematics from UC Santa Barbara in 2022. Throughout college, I was active in my school’s chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics, and I was Vice President during my senior year! When I began thinking about my career options, no matter how many different paths I explored, I always came back to teaching. I have loved math since I was a kid, and I had some amazing teachers who taught me how exciting math can be. I chose to become a math teacher because I want to be able to offer the same experience to my own students, and hopefully help them develop a greater interest and understanding of the beauty of mathematics!

Anna Pearlman

I grew up in Utica, NY and attended public school for my K-12 education. Ever since I was a child, it has been a dream of mine to become a teacher. However, it was not until my pre-calculus class in high school that I realized I wanted to teach math. My pre-calculus teacher had a tremendous impact on my life and it is because of her that I decided to continue studying math and become a math teacher. I attended Binghamton University, where I earned my Bachelors in Mathematical Sciences and minored in both Spanish and Education. At Binghamton, I volunteered in schools, tutored students in math, and was a member of the Education Minor Steering Committee where I helped oversee the education minor and familiarize students with opportunities within the field of education. I feel so lucky to be a part of the Noyce community and am so excited to learn how to become the best math teacher that I can be. I hope to someday leave the same impact on my students that my high school math teacher left on me!

Eli Sadovnik

I grew up and did my K-12 education in Newton, Massachusetts, just a hop and a skip away from BU. When I was young, my father instilled in me a love for math by challenging me to do hard and interesting problems every day before dinner with him. This put me on the path to major in mathematics as an undergraduate at MIT and go on to earn a Master’s degree in the subject at UCLA. While serving as a teaching assistant at UCLA, I found that an essential part of my love of the subject was helping students learn and grow as mathematicians, so I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. Before coming to BU to earn my MAT degree, I got my feet wet in the education world by tutoring at a high school in Providence, Rhode Island. I hope that, as a teacher, I can foster the same love of the subject in my students that my father encouraged in me, so many years ago!

Daniel Strauss

2021-22

Madeline Hill

If anywhere is the opposite of a high-need school district it is Harvard, MA where I attended K-12. Harvard schools are undeniably resource-rich, but I believe what actually made the difference was the string of great teachers I had there. I remember exactly when the math switch went on in my head (eighth grade) and the amazing teacher who made it happen. I remember the next year the head of the department approving my request to take more math just because I asked. I remember, senior year, my chemistry teacher endorsing what to me felt like the far-fetched notion of pursuing a math degree. These are just three pivotal moments that set me on a path to where I am today. It is now my turn to give back. For many years I have enjoyed various tutoring roles including group and individual tutoring, peer mentoring, and working as a teaching assistant. Now with my degree in math and minor in education (from UMass Amherst), I want to bring the deep passion I have for both fields into classrooms in much less equitably supported school districts so that I can provide the same level of care and counsel my teachers gave me.

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Aaron Milgram

I grew up in Framingham Massachusetts and attended public schools there for my K-12 education. After high school, I attended UMass Lowell where I received my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. During my time there, I did research on how novice programmers learn computer programming. This inspired me to become a STEM teacher. I joined the Noyce program at Boston University because STEM has an equity problem and I would like to become a part of the solution.

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Madeline Nees

I grew up in Rehoboth, MA and attended public schools there for my K-12 education. After high school, I went to UMass Amherst where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in education. From as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to teach. I remember being in elementary school and convincing my siblings to play “school” with me. I’d teach them and then asses them using a handmade quiz that I’d replicated from my elementary teacher’s class. In college I worked as a resident assistant, was heavily involved in the Education Club, and spent a summer in Birmingham, AL teaching geometry. I developed a continuing passion for social justice through many of the experiences I had in college. I am an advocate and ally for marginalized populations, and I think there is a lot of work that needs to be done within our education system regarding the opportunity gap. Moreover, I want to help share my knowledge and love of mathematics with students so that they can use it as a tool for communication and self-discovery! I am thrilled to be apart of the Noyce community and working towards something that matters so much to me.

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Casey Paolini

I grew up in Ashland, MA and attended public schools there for my K-12 education. After high school, I attended UMass Amherst where I received my bachelor’s degree in mathematics along with a minor in education. During my time in my undergraduate program, I was a precalculus and calculus teaching assistant. Math has always been a passion of mine, and these roles cemented my love for teaching. Seeing students begin to grasp a concept and apply it independently is one of the most gratifying experiences. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many discussions happening around opportunity gaps for our students. Now, more than ever, I feel the desire to join the education system and I am excited to further my passion for education and equity as a Noyce scholar!

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Anthony Piraino

I used to tutor my friends in math at my high school in Schuylerville, NY. Even back then, I knew that something was wrong with how math was taught. The classes in my school did great for me, but they failed many of my peers who I knew were just as capable. After graduating with a math degree from Boston College, I spent five years working at a local math tutoring center, Mathnasium of Newton. I directed the center for four years. I joined the Noyce program at BU Wheelock in an effort to move my career toward a more equitable side of education. I hope to become an advocate for inclusion and access in math education as I hone my skills as a public school teacher. I want to learn through experience what could be done better in our schools. In my free time, I enjoy playing music, reading, and studying language.

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Rafael Villa

I grew up in Chicago Illinois, where I attended Chicago Public Schools since the 1st grade. As a child, I have transferred schools many times and have missed school for extended periods of time. Through the Posse Foundation, I was awarded a full-tuition leadership scholarship to Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut. There, I majored in Mathematics and Educational Studies as a first-generation college student. I have always enjoyed learning math, but not particularly math class itself. It wasn’t until I began my undergraduate math coursework that I became reflective about the inequality in education I and other students of color experienced. It became apparent that many of the students in my courses that went to affluent well-resourced public and private schools had an upper edge that I and other similarly situated students did not. This lack of opportunity and inequity that exist fuel my passion to teach, adapt and change mathematics education in urban schools where students of color are just as capable to succeed in STEM but don’t have an education system or math pedagogy that works for them or prepare them adequately to perform well in college and beyond. I am excited to continue my career as a math educator of color and bring quality mathematics education and to schools that need it most.

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Luke Zhuang

I have always had a passion for mathematics, and it gradually developed into a combined passion for teaching and mathematics as I got older. I loved to volunteer at the Gauss Academy of Mathematical Education in New Jersey throughout high school, and also set up math peer tutoring for my high school. I then received a B.S. in Mathematics at Duke University, and during my senior year, I began taking education courses which was the catalyst for my pursuit of interest in mathematics education as a career. I strongly believe that mathematics has shaped the way that I view any situation, and offers me multiple perspectives as well as a way to critically analyze problems. I value this as a life skill and want to be able to offer an opportunity to be able to learn such skills to all students. I am particularly interested in competition math as well, and would love to eventually coach a high school math team. In addition to working on interesting math problems, I like to play badminton and the piano, as well as dabble in cooking.

2020-21

Max Ball

I grew up in Arlington, MA and went to the public schools there from kindergarten through 12th grade. I went to UMass Amherst for my undergrad and graduated with a degree in Mathematics and Statistics in 2019. I didn’t realize how much I liked math until I took AP Stats my senior year of high school. For much of my life before then, I didn’t see the point of learning math and I kept myself in a fixed mindset around my ability to do well in it. What I grew to love about math is the powerful toolset for making sense of the world it provides and the growth in problem solving abilities it sparks. The year between graduating from UMass and starting at BU, I worked at Lexington High School as a special ed paraprofessional to see if teaching was right for me. I quickly started looking forward to going into work every day so I knew that I needed to pursue education as my career.

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Ellen Burton

I grew up in Framingham MA and went to public school there for my K-12 schooling. I had ups and downs when it came to learning math, and only in my high school calculus class did I start to love math. I really enjoyed learning from my calculus teacher, and decided that I wanted to be the person who got other people to see the beauty in math, like she did for me. To continue my education, I received a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in French from UMass Amherst, which then led me to get my MAT at BU. I have also worked as a tutor in multiple capacities, but currently tutor for the SAT and ACT tests.

Linda Estrella Cordero

I was born and raised in Bethlehem, PA. Both my parents are immigrants and I have Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. I speak English and Spanish fluently. I received my B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Boston University. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I worked as an English tutor to immigrants in Chelsea, MA. I enjoyed my time there so much that I could not leave. I now work as an Adult English Instructor at the same place, while pursuing my M.A.T. in Math Education. This newfound love for teaching drove me to combine it with what I learned in undergraduate to now work towards my Masters. Additionally, I have a propensity for puzzles, especially jig-saw and sudoku. So far I plan to make non-binary thought, a growth mindset, and anti-racism a part of my teaching philosphy.

Julie Lee

I was born and raised in South Korea before I moved to New Jersey for elementary school, and then to China for middle and high school. I graduated from Gordon College with a B.S degree in Mathematics and Linguistics. I speak Korean, Mandarin, and English fluently and my hobby is learning new languages! I used to work as an English tutor for international students and taught SAT math before joining Mathnasium. Currently, I work as the Education Director of Mathnasium of West Newton. My love for math started when I took a math education course, which led me to study abroad in Budapest, Hungary specifically for math education. In college, I also worked as the head math tutor for my peers in college. Teaching math excites me the most when I see students experience the lightbulb moment-when they realize that math is beautiful and fun!

Emma McPhail-Snyder

I grew up in Arlington Virginia and attended the University of Virginia where I majored in Aerospace Engineering. At UVA, I was heavily involved in the club Sailing Team, Alternative Spring Break, and was an avid college sports fan. After spending 3 summers on the eastern shore of Maryland as a sailing instructor at a residential summer camp, I realized I had to find a career where I could combine my love for math and my passion for working with young people! After I graduated college, I moved to Boston where I served with City Year Boston in a 4th-grade classroom in Dorchester, and fell in love with teaching! Outside of school, I love to read, travel, root for DC sports teams, explore outside, and I am currently attempting to find the best oat milk latte Boston can offer me.

David O’Hearn

I was born and raised in Rogers, AR. I attended a charter school through 7th grade, and then went to the public schools there through 12th grade. For undergrad, I went to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR where I received a B.S in Math and Statistics and a B.S. in Physics. When I first entered college, I had no interest in teaching at all, and I wasn’t all that interested in pursuing a degree in math either. I thought for sure that I wanted to be involved in physics, but as I learned more about the beauty and utility of mathematics and got involved in tutoring, I realized that I needed to pursue a career in math education. I’m looking forward to completing my MAT here at BU so I can begin to share the excitement and beauty of math with my students.

Tyler Volpe-Knock

I grew up in Milton MA, where I attended the public school’s French Immersion Program. I did my undergrad at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I majored in math and minored in education and french. My mom is a retired middle school math teacher, so I have grown up around math and have always loved it. I’ve known that I have wanted to be a teacher since second grade, but this was further cemented by substitute teaching part time for the past few years and working as a Site Director for an all girls math camp in Seattle, WA. In my free time, I love traveling, swimming and spending time with friends and family, including my dog Bailee.

2019-20

Connor Chalfant

I grew up in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania—heart of the Poconos. During my junior year of high school, I began to see the beautiful world of mathematics and the unimaginable secrets that it held, as well as the priceless feeling of teaching that I attained through tutoring my peers. I originally pursued a degree in Astrophysics at Boston University, but after a few years of figuring things out I ended up switching to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Pure Mathematics at BU. After I graduated, I immediately applied to BU’s MAT program for teaching high school mathematics, as I knew that I had to be a teacher. I was fortunate enough to join the Noyce Program and improve my practice with an incredible cohort of incredible people. I’m now teaching at my old high school back in Pennsylvania. Apart from teaching, I’m a competitive powerlifter, bodybuilder, and chess player, and I have a great interest in learning other languages like Spanish, Japanese, and Latin.

Gillian Kennedy

I grew up in Fairfield, CT and attended public schools K-12 there. I went to Villanova University just outside of Philadelphia, where I studied civil engineering. After working for a year as a structural engineer, I realized I wanted to use my love for math in a way that can benefit the upcoming STEM professionals – high school students! During my year at BU, I learned about my passion for being in the classroom, as well as education policies, problem solving, and the challenges and rewards of teaching at high need public schools. I’m looking forward to beginning my first year teaching in the School District of Philadelphia and even though we’re starting off the 2020 school year virtually, I’m excited to see where this career takes me. Outside of school, I like baking, hiking, and watching movies!

Josh Kolodny

I grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts which is a small suburb known for car dealerships and being the birthplace of Chris Evans (Captain America). I attended K-12 public schools in Sudbury and found the beginning of my love for teaching during my junior year of high school when I began tutoring at the local after school program. After high school, I got my bachelors degree in Math from Emmanuel College and worked at a shoe store on Newbury Street. While I was at Emmanuel I began to notice the inequality in the world around us and especially the inequality that occurred in our public school systems. After graduating college, I realized that I wanted to work in a high needs district because of the unique challenges. The BU Noyce program was the perfect fit. I found the classes engaging and challenging both to my world view and to my knowledge of the content. Since graduating from the BU Noyce MAT program, I have been teaching at Match Public Charter School in Boston and I am happy to say that I get to do something I love every single day at work.

Susannah Miller

I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and attended K-12 public schools there. My senior year of high school, I helped out in a Sophomore math class and got my first taste of teaching. I was hooked. I knew I wanted to embark on this career that allowed me to combine my love of math with my passion for helping others. I got my Bachelor’s in Mathematics at Brandeis University, then went straight into the Math Education MAT program at BU Wheelock. Before becoming a Noyce scholar, I had never pictured myself teaching in a high needs district. But my time at BU helped me realize I want to teach where I am needed most and provide an excellent math education to students who often have the odds stacked against them. I am excited to begin my career working at Malden High School. Outside of teaching I enjoy puzzles, modern dance, and grassroots organizing!

Ana Steen

I grew up in Ithaca, NY and attended Bucknell University where I majored in chemical engineering and minored in math. After graduating I went on to get a masters degree in food science and worked in industry for three years. While there I was involved in an educational outreach program and had the opportunity to mentor local high school students which helped me realize my passion for teaching young people. My desire to become an educator and my enjoyment of math led me to the Math MAT program at BU. I was so fortunate to become a Noyce Scholar and work with a great group of peers and professors as I learned how to better my teaching practice. I am excited to begin my teaching career as a 7th grade math teacher at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge. Outside of teaching I enjoy spending time hiking, running, doing yoga and spending time with friends and family.

2018-19

Darcie Connors

I grew up in Cumberland, Rhode Island and earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Gettysburg College. Throughout high school and college, I tutored at local schools, worked as a swim instructor, and taught math at a summer school program, so I knew teaching was a career path I was interested in. After I graduated, I got a job as an assistant teacher at a middle school in Boston. I worked there for three more years as the 5th grade math teacher. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to continue to pursue teaching as a career. I decided to go back to school to further my studies and improve my practice as a teacher, which led me to the Noyce Program at Boston University. I currently teach 8th grade math in Queens, NY. Outside of teaching, I enjoy going for walks and hikes, exploring new cities, and cooking.

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Jae Cruz

Jay Hargis

Kristi Jones

Katrina Miaoulis

I am a current high school math teacher at Another Course to College; a part of the Boston Public School district. I graduated from Tufts University with a major in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Engineering Education. In college, I developed a passion for education through tutoring and visiting K-12 schools to teach engineering lessons. After college, I worked as a sustainability engineer for 3 years, where I mentored new engineers and worked as a project manager. I received her MAT from BU last year while doing a practicum at Fenway High School. My participation in the Noyce program has made me feel confident stepping into a role of a new teacher in a high needs school. As an educator, I am passionate about working with high needs students and collaborating with colleagues to serve each student with equity, care, and high expectations.

Molly Pratt

I am a current high school math teacher at Margarita Muñiz Academy, a bilingual high school in Boston Public Schools. I graduated from Boston University with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Spanish in 2014. After I graduated, I started working in schools, first as an AmeriCorps volunteer and then as a math teacher. I returned to BU to get my MAT in math teaching in 2018 with a desire to continue teaching mathematics in high needs schools in the Boston area.

Kylie Vallee

Yingying Wu

I grew up in Guangdong, China before I moved to Boston with my family 11 years ago. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Teaching from Wheelock College where I had a full scholarship. I did my student teaching in Boston Public School and I have been a private math tutor for years. As an immigrant myself, I understand the tremendous challenge when I tried to learn math in a foreign language; and because of this challenging experience, I want to help more students, especially those whose first language is not English, to appreciate the beauty of math and really enjoy learning it. I also want to help them build confidence for themselves so that in their future endeavors, they feel empowered to tackle any challenge, academically or professionally.

2017-18

Daniel Barter

I grew up in Newton, MA, and went to Carleton College in Minnesota. During summers I returned home and worked as a teacher’s assistant in summer school chemistry courses at Newton North. There I realized how much I enjoy helping students understand new ideas. I have always loved math and in college fell in love with computer science as well. After graduating with a double major, I went to work as a software developer at a healthcare company, but after two and a half years realized that where I really want to be is in the classroom sharing my enthusiasm for math. Outside of school, I play ultimate Frisbee, am an avid bicycle rider, and love to play board games.

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Margaret Ann Bolick

I am from Natick, MA and didn’t travel far for college. I attended Boston University for undergrad, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I graduated in May 2017 and started graduate school at BU’s School of Education in July 2017. As an undergrad I realized I wanted to become a secondary school math teacher. I just didn’t realize how soon it would happen! In my spare time, I work in BU’s University Service Center as the First Gen Connect Intern where I help with programming that connects first generation college students to each other and campus resources. I also work as an advisor for the Tufts University Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta.

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Lindsay Cadwallader

I grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut and graduated from UConn in May 2017 with a math major and a computer science minor. I have loved math from an early age and the inclination to teach has always been there, although I explored other career paths during college, including becoming an actuary and pursuing a math PhD. Throughout my college career, the majority of my extracurricular activities involved working with kids or some sort of teaching role and included America Reads, Big Brothers Big Sisters, teaching religious education, the Petey Greene program, tutoring at UConn’s Q Center, and facilitating leadership workshops. My passion for supporting growth in others that came out while participating in these activities helped point me back towards the teaching career I’d been set on from late elementary school through early high school. Some other activities I enjoy are running, biking, and exploring the outdoors.

Evangelia (Lina) Giannos

I was born and raised in Athens, Greece. I came to the United States after high school to attend Hellenic College in Brookline, MA. I graduated with a BA in Human Development. After graduation, I worked as a paraprofessional at McKinley Middle School in Boston. I continued my graduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at Boston University where I received a Master of Science. I have tutored Mathematics and the Greek language extensively to adults and children of all ages. I enjoy cooking, playing the piano and going on family trips with my husband and our two sons.

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Swetha Kalluri

I graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2016, where I studied Mathematics and Education. During my summers, I worked as a 7th and 8th grade math teacher at Breakthrough Collaborative, a summer program for middle school students in Cambridge, MA. This is experience influenced me to pursue teaching as a career. I also learned that I especially love working with middle school students! I believe that math can help all of us understand the world around us, and this is what I hope to convey to my students. In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, ping-pong and spending time with my dog.

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Evan Kendall

I am from Portland, Maine, went to high school at North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, Maine and college at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota where I majored in Psychology and Mathematics. In the year between graduation and Boston University I worked as a middle school paraeducator in Burlington, Vermont and in addition coached cross-country running, nordic skiing, and track and field at the middle, high school, and college levels. In the summer, I work as a counselor at an overnight camp counselor in Maine where I have taught golf, swimming, mountain biking, and canoeing. In addition to education I love hiking and running and am looking forward to running in the Boston Marathon next spring!

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Alison Kimball

I grew up in Haverhill, Massachusetts and attended their public schools from kindergarten through high school graduation. After high school, I went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, where I got my bachelor’s degree in mathematics and religious studies. I tutored in the Mathematics & Statistics Workshop at Bates, which piqued my interest in both teaching and technology. After graduation, I worked at Wolfram Research for two years and was involved with a number of Wolfram’s educational initiatives, including a mentoring program, two summer programs, local outreach events, and the (more recent) Computational Thinking Initiative. I am excited to bring my love of mathematics one step further, and hope that I can communicate this love to all students—especially those who think that mathematics is not “for them.” When I’m not writing about myself, I enjoy taking long (but mostly short) walks, skiing, playing tennis, and curating terrible Spotify playlists.

Steven Klutho

I am originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and went out west to Whitman College in Washington State for college. Here, I majored in mathematics and wrote my senior project on the Analytic Hierarchy Process. After graduating in 2013, I worked as a sea kayak guide on Lake Superior in the Apostle Islands before beginning two years of service with AmeriCorps. I did my service with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, where I led volunteers to build and rehab houses. After my service, I began working for a nonprofit called Tree Trust, where I taught at-risk high school students construction skills, and as a team, we worked to build affordable housing in Minneapolis. In late 2016, I moved to New Zealand with the plan of working and traveling around the country. For the six months before coming to BU I milked cows, cleaned a motel, and worked as a bartender as I explored the country. Outside of school, I enjoy working with my hands (my latest project being a set of handmade wooden beer steins), running, eating, and binge-watching Netflix.

Sadiki Lewis

I grew up in Orange, NJ. I graduated from Bard College majoring in mathematics. My time at Bard has been primarily focused on educational initiatives providing mentoring and tutoring to high school students that have been historically marginalized and disadvantaged in this country. I enjoyed tutoring kids, finding new ways to make learning math more accessible to them, as well as discovering culturally relevant practices that could engage the students. I also served as a high school tutor for New York State Algebra regents. I also worked with Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtoP) where we helped to inspire underrepresented students to take on empowering learning strategies, mind-sets, and attitudes that deepen their resilience in order to meet their goals in math, science, and/or computing despite the adversity and barriers that come with attending a predominantly white college
When deciding which graduate school to choose, Boston University Noyce Program was the best fit. It’s emphasis on serving students that are high need in urban high schools and also developing a professional community of math educators to support one another as we develop our teaching is what attracted me the most to the program. I know that Noyce will help make me both a better mathematician and also a better educator to inform my teaching.

Michael Ward

I grew up in Brighton, MA, went to Boston Latin School (the oldest school in the country! Est.1635) and then earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Technology Innovation from Boston University. While at BU, I did a lot of volunteering with Upward Bound which mentors and tutors Boston and Chelsea Public School students. I loved working with these students and watching them succeed and go to college. It became a contagious feeling and the relationships I developed really made me want to pursue teaching. I also worked for BU TISP developing STEM education for high school students. I aspire to teach in the Boston area in math and STEM and help students access STEM degrees and careers that they never thought were possible. Outside of the classroom I am a middle-distance runner converted to a decathlete for BU’s track and field team.

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2016-17

Thomas Hanno

I grew up in upstate New York and attended college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. During my junior year, I decided to apply for the Peace Corps. I received an invitation to teach science in Uganda, where I served for three years, also teaching math, English, life skills, and computer skills. I played a lot of soccer there, too. I moved back to the United States in 2011 and joined an AmeriCorps program in East Boston that provided nutrition and physical education both in school and after school. I then taught 8th grade math at UP Academy in South Boston for three years before becoming a Noyce Scholar in 2016. I now teach 7th grade math at New Mission Collegiate Academy in Hyde Park, MA.

Logan David

Prior to becoming a teacher in the Revere school district I earned my BS in Mathematics from St. Michael’s college, and then attended Boston University to earn my MAT in secondary mathematics. While at BU the BEST program strengthened my desire to work in a high need school while providing me with the tools to engage many different types of learners. I see education as a means of providing oneself with opportunities and I wanted to help students whose needs were not being met by their current schools. I aspire to help all my students see the value of their education and encourage them to become tireless seekers of knowledge inside and outside the classroom.

Abigail Luneau

I grew up in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, a little over an hour from Boston. I graduated from the University of New Hampshire (Durham) in 2015 with my B.S. in Mathematics Secondary Education. As an undergrad I worked for the UNH Upward Bound program, a TRIO organization that advises low income/first generation high school students in preparing for and applying to college. After graduation, I joined City Year New Hampshire, an AmeriCorps program that places young adults in Title 1 schools to provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 support in Math, ELA, Attendance, and Behavior. I spent one year serving in a 5th grade classroom in an elementary school in Manchester, NH. My reason for wanting to become a teacher stemms from my desire to work with students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This passion led me to apply to Boston University for graduate school and eventually the Noyce (BEST) Scholars program in 2016. I plan to graduate in December 2017 with my Masters and start my career in teaching mathematics at either the middle or high school levels.

Cassandra Poole

I was born and raised in Virginia, though I spent 3 years living in Hawaii when my father was stationed at an army base on Oahu while I was in elementary school. I went to James Madison University (go Dukes!) to do my BS in Mathematics. I then came to BU to do my MAT in Mathematics. I have known I wanted to teach since I was 6 years old, although I wasn’t always sure I wanted to teach math. I actually started out as an English major in undergrad, before switching to elementary education, and then physics, before finally deciding on mathematics, and never looking back! Outside of school, I like to spend my time reading and visiting the many museums around Boston.

2015–16

Warren Asfazadour

I grew up in San Diego, California. I went to school at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where I majored in Mathematics. After I graduated I moved back to San Diego and started working at a Web Marketing Company. After working there for a few months I realized that I did not enjoy sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day. I remember feeling fulfilled when I was a peer tutor in college, so I decided that I would apply to grad school for education, and now here I am at Boston University.

Melody Jaros

Melody Jaros grew up living in Iowa and Hong Kong. She became ‘hooked’ on mathematics after joining the mathematical problem solving team at her high school. Throughout high school and college, Melody’s favorite math courses have been discrete mathematics, combinatorics, and problem solving. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and American Sign Language at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. Even after graduation, Melody continues to strive to incorporate her talents in sign language and mathematics for its accessibility and form of visual expression. Her interests outside of school include learning languages, baking, crocheting, and rock-climbing.

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Chris Munson

Chris grew up right here in Massachusetts, just south of Boston in Scituate. When he was younger, he really enjoyed his math classes, enough to study mathematics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he received his BS. However, it was not until his senior year working as a teacher’s assistant for a calculus course did he decide he wanted to go into mathematics education. This led to working as an instructor for two years at a Mathnasium Learning Center on the South Shore right after graduating UMass. After working with K-12 and college students, he is excited to bring his love of learning and mathematics to the high school classroom setting. Chris was also involved in music and theater growing up and studied film at UMass. He hopes to support the arts in the future in school communities.

Elise Shattuck

Elise was born in California and raised in southern New Hampshire. She graduated form Kenyon College in 2014 with a major in studio art and a minor in mathematics. In her time at Kenyon, she worked as a peer tutor at the writing center and graded for math classes. After graduating, she spent a year working at an advertising company, but quickly realized that she wanted to teach. She is excited to begin her career as a high school math teacher! Outside of the classroom, Elise loves reading, oil painting, and playing any and all trivia games.

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Alison Tammaro

Alison Tammaro grew up in central MA and went to a Quaker high school which influences her teaching and learning practices to this day. She graduated from Smith College with a math major and education minor in May and went straight into BU classes over the summer. She has aspired to be a teacher for nearly her whole life and has jumped at any experience that involves working with children. She was a camp counselor at a Girl Scout camp for many summers and also worked at Smith College Campus School (a K-6 school on Smith Campus). Outside of academic pursuits, Alison loves all kinds of musical theater and overanalyzing musicals. She also enjoys camping with her family and attending nerdy book clubs.

2014–15

Kevin and Delaney engineer models of cellphone towers.

Delaney Carr

I grew up in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, about a half hour north of Boston, a born and raised Red Sox fan. My favorite part about New England is the fall season, and I stayed in the region for college, receiving a dual degree from Bryant University in Applied Statistics and Applied Psychology. Although I explored different majors and career paths in college, I always knew deep down that I wanted to be a teacher. Throughout high school and college, I pursued any jobs working with kids that I could including: coaching cheerleading, working at a day care, and nannying. I also tutored underclassmen college students at Bryant and worked as a Resident Assistant with them as well. I’m hoping these diverse experiences helped build some of the skills that will be necessary in the classroom!

Rob Moray

Rob Moray grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston, majoring in mathematics. As an undergraduate, Rob became interested in helping others learn after assisting a doctoral candidate on their dissertation research in mathematics education. This passion was enhanced by opportunities to conduct research on technology-based mathematics discourse as well as tutoring students in subjects ranging from basic math skills to Calculus. Rob also volunteered at a local hospital and engaged in research studying a regulatory network believed to be involved in cancer. Following his graduation from UMass Boston in 2014, he began his master’s degree in mathematics education at Boston University. He hopes to channel his love for mathematics and passion for helping others learn into effective pedagogy that will lead to successful students in urban, high-needs school districts.

“When it came time to choose which graduate program I wanted to enroll in, I chose Boston University not only because I recognize its status as a world-class university, but also because I had conducted my own independent research about the program, and was impressed by a strong emphasis developing effective teaching practices not only in general but also specific to the classes I will actually be teaching.”

“What I like about the Noyce program is its emphasis not only on serving those most in need but also on a strong professional support community that I have come to realize is essential for all teachers. Through extra information sessions offered exclusively to Noyce scholars, I have learned about amazing new ways that ongoing research is being infused into classroom learning. I believe that the Noyce program has a lot of potential to take individuals who are passionate about their subject and turn them into individuals who are also passionate about their pedagogy.”

Kevin Potterton

Kevin’s lifelong love of learning and desire to make a difference in his community inspired him to pursue a career in education. Originally hailing from Needham, MA, he is returning to the Boston area after a two-tear stint at an investment bank in San Francisco. During his brief career in finance, Kevin developed financial models for publicly-traded Internet businesses such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Kevin graduated summa cum laude from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics. He has served in a variety of tutoring roles since high school, including as a peer tutor in both the Mathematics and Economics departments at Claremont McKenna. Kevin’s other lifelong passion is running, which he pursued as a four-year member of the Cross-Country and Track & Field teams at CMC. He hopes to inspire both a love of learning and a passion for athletics as a teacher and coach.

“I decided to apply to the Noyce program after coming to the realization that I was not passionate about my career in finance. I have benefitted so much in my life from my education, especially in math, and I wanted to share those opportunities with the youth of Boston, which I have always considered home. The Noyce program offered a way for me to break into the teaching field with superb preparation and minimal upfront financial commitment.”

“For me the Noyce program is a launching pad for a career teaching math in high-needs, urban high schools. I hope to use all the guidance and mentoring that the Noyce program provides in order to become the best teacher that I can possibly be.”

2013–14

Jillian Cohen

Jillian Cohen is from Topsfield, MA. Her family now lives on Cape Cod so she has a great place to visit on weekends for beach outings, puppy play-dates, and yard sale-ing. She graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2010 with her Bachelors in Management Engineering with a Biomedical Engineering concentration. Right out of college, Jillian fell into an adjunct teaching opportunity at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. She spent two years teaching developmental mathematics to students who either failed math in high school or students who were returning back to school later in life to get their degree. The courses Jillian taught included Basic Mathematics Skills, Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, and Math Skills for Allied Health Careers, a course for nursing majors. Although she loved teaching, she wanted to make sure she was not missing out on opportunities in corporate America. She worked for a technology company as an engineer for two years. It quickly became apparent that Jillian’s destiny was in a mathematics classroom!

“Even though my job at the technology company was interesting and competitive, I constantly found myself seeking opportunities to teach. I would take the complex engineering and technology concepts and host mini-workshops for the inside sales representatives so that they would be able to better understand the devices that they were trying to sell. I quickly realized that I belong in the classroom!”

“I knew that I wanted to complete my Master’s before I became a full time teacher. I didn’t think it would be fair to my students if I was taking classes, trying to get my own work done, while at the same time focusing on the needs of the students. I want my focus to remain on them. The program at Boston University was a no-brainer. I would be able to complete my Master’s degree and student teaching all in one year. While I knew it would be a great deal of work, the pace was the right move for me. Plus, I had a really good feeling that I would be with an amazing group of people that would make my journey much more memorable and exciting!”

Linda Nguyen

Linda grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University. As a biomedical engineer, Linda worked with stroke patients to retrain their visual and cognitive impairments. She has also spent many years mentoring and teaching urban students through the Upward Bound program and currently works with a non-profit to help students and their families prepare for higher education. Throughout her experiences, Linda has found her background in BME to be an essential part of her teaching in making content more engaging and applicable to students’ interests.

“In high school, I had a chemistry teacher who not only was a great teacher but a wonderful mentor. He helped me through countless struggles. He changed what I believed a teacher is and should be. As I teacher, I want to help my students through their academic and personal growth as my high school teacher had done for me.”

“I decided to attend Boston University for my MAT in math education because of their curriculum and their commitment to urban, high-need schools. Unlike other MAT programs, BU provided a curriculum that not only taught various pedagogies but also mathematics content. Providing content courses was important to me because it was where I learned from fellow teachers how students learn and what their common misconceptions are. As a student who has attended BPS from elementary to high school, BU shares my commitment and passion of helping students in urban, high-need schools. I hope to take my experiences and what I have learned to help my community.”

Matthew Dirks

Matthew has wanted to teach since he was in high school himself, back home in Seattle, Washington. During his undergraduate days in Chicago, he worked with students at a local K-12 school in reading, writing, and math; created an after-school Latin class for sixth- and seventh-graders; and enjoyed a stint as the school’s de facto librarian. During the summers, he tutored at Kumon Math and Reading centers in the Seattle area, wrote an expository paper on Boolean algebras, volunteered in a library, and worked as a teacher’s assistant in math and language classes for an Upward Bound program at South Seattle Community College. In 2013 he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in classical studies from the University of Chicago, whence he continued his eastward journey to Boston University to work on his master’s degree in teaching.

“I find pleasure in solving math problems, in trying to refine some given information into a powerful, surprising result. In many ways, the process of teaching is quite similar. A teacher needs to discover what confusions or misconceptions a student has and figure out how to guide the student to a deeper understanding without giving too much away. It’s a difficult process, replete ‘aha!’ moments and constant surprises. The problem of how to best help young people understand mathematics is itself a fascinating problem.

The thing about challenging problems is that, before a satisfying solution can be found, many people have to look at it from many different perspectives. As a teacher, I want to bring students from as many different cultural backgrounds as possible into STEM fields, so that there are lots of brains with lots of different perspectives working on lots of problems. I chose Boston University for its commitment to urban education. I know that my professors and peers here share my passion for bringing quality STEM education to a wide variety of students, and am grateful for the education and support I have received so far.”