Victor Carrera, winner of the 2021 Campbell Naismith Mathematics Award from Chula Vista High School donated through the generosity of Chang Lee.

Pictured from left to right: Chang Lee, Victor Carrera, and Campbell Naismith.

1. The main reason for taking so many math-related courses in high school is that I love math. Math is the universal language in which anyone can communicate. When I moved to the U.S. not knowing a word of English, math made me feel comfortable since there were no language barriers. As a result of my passion for math, I wanted to pursue a math-related career, therefore I took many math courses in high school. My passion for math also allowed me to become a tutor and help others. Tutoring math was a great refresher for older topics that I didn’t remember quite well. Surprisingly many of the basic topics that I went over were a crucial part of the higher-level math class such as AP Calculus AB and BC.
2. As an Aerospace Engineer major, most of the courses I take are math related. I am so glad I took so many math-oriented courses in high schools such as Calculus and Physics. The topics covered in these courses are the fundamentals of the work I am doing in my classes. Further, the classes are very fast paced so it is great that I have previous knowledge to help me keep up with the course. Thanks to these courses the university transition was not as bad as I expected.
3. I would say that surrounding yourself with people who want to be successful is the most important piece of advice I can give to high school students. Throughout school, I was fortunate enough to have a great friend group that wanted to be successful. Surrounding myself with people who had the drive to do better encouraged me to enroll in difficult courses to keep up with them. Not only that, but also it is great to have friends that know what you are going through and are there to support you every step of the way. Having a good friend group is what I think made me successful in high school.