Teen Talk Topics - Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Part 2 of 2...

10/13/2020 - Current Hispanic/Latinx Mathematicians

Current Hispanic/Latinx Mathematicians

It’s still National Hispanic Heritage Month, I’m still a math tutor, and, unfortunately, students still struggle in and with math.

So, today I’m taking the opportunity to highlight another mathematician. Last week’s post highlighted the contributions of a historical Hispanic/Latin American mathematician, Júlio César de Mello e Souza.

This week, I'd like to highlight the contributions of a, as far as I know, living one, Argelia Velez-Rodriguez.

your success is in every converted block, every overcome obstacle, EVERY WIN!

Argelia Velez-Rodriguez

Argelia is a Cuban-American educator and mathematician. Born in Cuba, she emigrated to the USA in 1962 and became a naturalized citizen in 1972. A few things that stand out to me about her life is that:

1. She excelled in math and was recognized as the class math whiz ever since winning a math competition as a child;

2. She earned her doctorate in math in Cuba, becoming the first Black woman in Cuba to do so;

3. She experienced heavy discrimination when she moved to the USA, because of her gender, her race, AND the language difference;

4. She taught as a math and science professor at several colleges, as well as held the position of Department Chair;

5. She wrote several math publications, served on many committees and task forces, and participated in several panels and speeches regarding math education and equity; and

6. Her work is largely centered on improving education in science, math, and engineering at colleges and universities, and increasing equity and access to quality education and the workforce for ethnic minorities and women.

I'd love every student struggling in or with math to take away from this the fact that even though she didn’t struggle as a child, Argelia still had challenges and perceived roadblocks to success...EVERYONE does at some point in life. However, she persevered, used them as building blocks instead, and not only achieved success for herself and family, but sought to make a way for others to do the same! May Dr. Velez-Rodriguez's life be another example to every struggling student out there that there is hope!

And let it be understood: her success, your success, is in every converted block, every overcome obstacle, EVERY WIN! As Arthur Ashe said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome”.

What do your kids think of their ability to succeed in math or in STEM overall? Does it help for them to see people they can look up to succeed in math or in STEM overall? Does it help them to know that even some of the greatest mathematicians had to overcome struggles in their own journeys of success? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Let's start a discourse!

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Hi! I'm Christina and I'm an online math tutor with 20+ years experience mentoring, teaching and tutoring young people. My goal is to empower students all over the world to succeed by helping them overcome their struggles and anxiety in one of their toughest academic areas, math! If you are interested in 1-1 assistance for yourself or your child, feel free to contact me: www.cmamathtutoring.com/contact-me.

References:

1. O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Argelia Velez-Rodriguez", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews.

2. Kenschaft, P. (1981). Black Women in Mathematics in the United States. The American Mathematical Monthly, 88(8), 592-604. doi:10.2307/2320508