Professional Statement

My name is Dalesha Cartman and I am a sophomore at Mississippi Valley State University. I became interested in math at a very young age. The person who helped peek my interest in math was my elementary school teacher, from kindergarten to fourth grade, Mrs. Johnson. She taught me many things about math and made it seem easy and fun to engage in. As I progressed in age, math became the main focus of mine in school. I began to score two levels higher in the subject then the average level intended for my age group. Although math was my best subject, I strived to do my best in every subject. During my high school years, I took summer school courses whether it was science or math. Most of the awards that I received were in the subjects of math or science. By the end of high school, I had a GPA of a 3.8 and an overall ACT score of 25 with a 27 in math.

Now that I am in college, the courses have become more rigorous and demand more attention. College proved to be a challenge, but my high school classes helped prepare me for the demands that college academics convey. The classes that I will take in this next semester will be courses for my major, which is mathematics, and should challenge me academically.

In April 2010, I attended the Association of Computer and Information Science/Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions (ADMI) computer science conference where I met Dr. Linda Hayden. I received information about the Undergraduate Research Experience in Ocean, Marine, and Polar Sciences. I was accepted into the program and arrived at Elizabeth City State University on May 24, 2010. I was then put on the math team under the mentorship of Dr. Yolanda McMillian. We did a research project on the effectiveness of the undergraduate research programs and virtual conferences.

I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Math Education. During this time I plan to apply to more internships that work with the testing of global warming effects. I also would like to pursue an internship that allows me to work with younger students in the math field, but I would not object to other internships that deal with math. After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I plan on entering graduate school to obtain my master’s degree in Mathematics and later my Ph.D. My goal is to teach high school algebra while attending graduate school to receive experience in the field of teaching. After obtaining my Ph.D., I intend to become a Calculus College Professor.