Olga Hawranick

Major: Mathematics
Hometown: Fairmont, WV 

The following interview questions are excerpted from Olga's 2022-2023 Eberly Scholar profile.

How did you choose your major?

I chose to major in mathematics because of how my parents grew my love for mathematics from a young age. We would conduct fun experiments and dive deep into some math topics that were relatable and that could explain the things around us. Also, I couldn’t imagine putting a stop to learning math after high school (that was where things started to get interesting), so I decided to rise up for the challenge and see where the curriculum would take me. It’s been extremely fun and enlightening so far, but not without a struggle.

How would you explain your major to a new WVU student? What advice would you give them?

Mathematics is the study of patterns, change, and shapes which are present in the natural world.

Famous mathematician, Carl Gauss, calls mathematics the “queen of the sciences,” since it sheds so much light on the physical world. As a math major, you become a thoughtful and deliberate problem solver, examining different ways about a problem and taking particular care of maintaining consistent equivalence throughout your steps. The flexibility that comes with math is beautiful! Mathematics is not like recipe-following; you are able to come up with a totally different method than a peer, but both be completely correct. The connections between topics that you’ll cover is equally beautiful! You’ll begin to see (if you haven’t already) that math builds upon itself, algebra and trigonometry to calculus, introduction to basic proofs to applying them to prove more abstract concepts, etc. Seeing all of these connections was eye-opening to me and really allowed me to feel humbled about my understanding of mathematics.

To incoming students, I would recommend choosing a major that brings you joy! Yes, math has its ups and downs. We hear it all the time. But that’s the learning process. You must first go through a productive struggle for some time (in some cases, it may take longer than you would like). Then, things will begin to click from a mixture of your individual work, describing it in your own words, and collaborating with other peers to reach a more complete understanding. Learning is a process!

How has your major prepared you for your future career?

My career goal is to teach mathematics at either the high school or college level. After I’ve completed undergrad, I will have earned my certification through the WVUTeach Program to teach mathematics, grades 5 through 12. My student teaching experience, smaller placements in local middle and high schools, tutoring experience, and working as a Learning Assistant for the Math Department have filled me with newfound confidence that teaching is my gig.

I am currently serving as a long-term substitute teacher at East Fairmont High School until the end of their school year. This semester I was student teaching full-time at University High School, where I taught Math 1 and Math 3. The last 6 weeks of my last semester, I was placed at West Preston Middle School, where I taught 7th and 8th grade math. WVUTeach sparked my interest because I had been inspired by two of my math teachers and wanted to continue to spread my love for math. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to become the conglomeration of a person that a teacher is, especially as a shy and bashful freshman. How would one be able to multitask being able to present material in an engaging and retentive way, create and maintain a safe learning environment where failure is normalized, have quick alternative plans if needed based on how a lesson ran, and create equitable learning opportunities/accommodations for all students but especially those that have special learning needs? I hung in the program, still enjoying myself, but hesitant if I would be able to wear all of the hats at some point. My worries started to fade away as I met more of the kind and ever so accommodating Master Teachers, spent time with my hilarious peers in the program, and had small placements in classrooms where we taught 2-3 lessons to students. Shoutout to my wonderful and talented mentor teachers Ms. Nancy Stacy and Ms. Jessica Thomas! I am now glad to say that I am wearing an abundance of hats now and loving it! You begin to notice the work that you’ve done, that you have what it takes, and it may sometimes just require a small leap of confidence.