Seen to the right is the 2017 winner of the Irene Naismith Mathematics Award, Sumeya Abubakar, presented at Crawford High School by Campbell Naismith. 

1. At Crawford High School, the majority of students are looking to meet the requirements to obtain a high school diploma. Taking three years of math was the goal. But for me this requirement was a chance to pursue my passion for math. I had always been fond of the topic throughout middle school but in high school, math had become something much more. I had little interest in remembering formulas what I enjoyed was the real-world application, and Calculus offered that to me. Through this course, I learned to translate math into nature, which was an amazing and a wonderful process. Learning about acceleration, speed, and positions of cars and other moving objects, I was able to realize that calculus is part of my everyday life and that rates of change are not just on paper. Calculus is like poetry with a lot more meaningful symbols. After the first month of taking Calculus AB, I realized it was not enough. When I heard about the Calculus BC program after school, I jumped at the opportunity. Taking both courses made me realize I like to take on challenges and solve difficult problems, whether it was balancing my social life with after school math programs, managing my time was simple math.

2. AP Calculus AB/BC is the backbone for all the new math I have been introduced to in college. Whether your a Neuroscience major like myself or a Physics major, math is a must. In high school I was introduced to college level math which has been a great advantage in not just my math classes, but also my Chemistry course. During the fall quarter I took Life Sciences 30A, a math class that integrated what I learned in AP Calculus with new and interesting topics. I was able to use concepts from my high school course to code and solve problems dealing with biological phenomenons. The math in my Chemistry course involved a lot of algebra and the use of a scientific calculator. I am so glad to have taken math classes in high that taught me how to use a scientific calculator to my advantage. Through taking advanced and AP math courses in high school, I am flourishing at UCLA. Such courses have allowed me to deal with the fast pace of a college math class, while trying to solve every messy math problem that I am presented with.

3. A word of advice, math is possible. A lot of students find one topic to be difficult and give up on challenging math all together. Giving up is not the solution, facing challenges will help you grow. For me I found precalculus to be a very difficult course but I persevered through it, and although I was scared out of my mind about AP Calculus, I did not regret my choice in taking the class. AP Calculus was an exciting adventure, one that showed me the limitless possibilities of math. It made me realize that I wanted to further pursue my interest in math and science beyond high school. In college being a STEM major is rough, but it is also rewarding. That math and science you do on paper now, will become a thing of reality in college when you use it to build and create. Also ask for help. In high school it involves raising your hand for clarification, no need for office hours. Asking for clarification will get you one step closer to surpassing the obstacles that may come your way.