Reflections from the 2024 SIAM EDGE Fellow

My first introduction to Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) was in the summer of 2022 when my alma mater, Spelman College, hosted the annual EDGE reunion. As a rising junior, I was spending the summer at Spelman to work as a mentor for the Women in STEM Summer Bridge Accelerator (WiSTEM) and conduct numerical analysis research through the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program. When I received the Department of Mathematics’ call for volunteers to help host our EDGE guests, I readily accepted. It was then that I officially met Sylvia Bozeman—Spelman emerita and EDGE co-founder—who encouraged my fellow mentors and me to apply to the EDGE Summer Program when the time came. I had already known that I wanted to attend graduate school, and at that moment I decided that I would apply to EDGE as well.

Throughout my undergraduate years, I pursued multiple other mathematics research opportunities in addition to the aforementioned WiSTEM and LSAMP endeavors. Immediately before my freshman year, I took part in WiSTEM myself and jumpstarted my college career from my bedroom during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. I later became a mentor and teaching assistant for Calculus 1 and participated in the Keeping the STEM Gate Open project. In the summer of 2021, I participated in the Casualty Actuarial Society Student Central Summer Program and learned more about the seemingly foreign topic of actuarial science (I didn’t know it at the time, but this marked the start of my shift from mathematics to statistics). And as a rising senior during the summer of 2023, I worked as an actuarial intern for Allstate. This collection of wonderful experiences helped to shape my mind and encouraged me to pursue a higher degree with the goal of ultimately serving the community that so generously served me.

To achieve this goal, I of course had to apply to graduate school. While readying my grad school application materials, I also applied to EDGE: a program that would prepare me for my subsequent years in higher education. Ever since my encounter with Dr. Bozeman, I had heard nothing but good things about the EDGE Summer Program from previous students and former instructors. I was thrilled to learn that I was accepted to the 2024 program and couldn’t have been happier to join a legacy of brilliant women in math.

As the program began to heat up, I held on to this joy to keep myself feeling positive when the work became increasingly difficult. The 2024 EDGE Summer Program took place at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, from June 2-29. Over the course of a month, we took four classes that focused on linear algebra, real analysis, measure theory, and applied mathematics and statistics. As a part of our daily schedule, we attended group problem sessions; group lunches; colloquium talks; “difficult dialogue” sessions; and a sprinkling of fun bonding activities, including a zipline and ropes course and a weekend barbeque. My cohort and I also organized some fun outings on our own, such as kayak adventures, time at the pool, and a trip to the movies to see Inside Out 2. Needless to say, we were really busy all month!

I think all EDGE participants would agree that the curriculum and framework is truly well designed. We learned a lot from our instructors, directors, peer mentors, and each other — not only academically, but also personally. One of the biggest gifts of EDGE is the resulting network of kind, intelligent, motivated, and supportive ladies who remain in your corner for the challenging grad school journey that lies ahead. At this year’s reunion, which took place during the Summer Program, members of the 2023 cohort returned and offered much-needed advice about graduate school and EDGE itself. I was overjoyed to reconnect with a fellow Spelman alumna and make the acquaintance of our reunion colloquium speaker, Michelle Craddock Guinn of Belmont University, who was also a Spelman alum! Coming from a sweet sisterhood like Spelman, I was—and continue to be—fully aware of the value of the EDGE sisterhood. Through the 2024 cohort, I’ve gained 12 new friends who will understand my experiences as a Ph.D. student and serve as resources to help me reach the finish line. And at the end of the month, I was honored to be named the 2024 SIAM Edge Fellow by the EDGE co-directors and faculty.

Now that I’m a graduate student at Columbia University, I can affirm that the volume and pace of the EDGE program accurately simulates graduate school. The heavy EDGE workload, which moved quickly through the material with a fast turnaround for homework, prepared me for graduate-level assignments. As an introvert, I don’t always position myself to work with others in my studies; however, the collaborative problem sessions this summer opened my mind to the possibilities that stem from groupwork. Trying to balance studies, self-care, and community is a real challenge, and EDGE provided me with a blueprint that I can mold and model as I establish my routine at Columbia.

I am currently two months into my Ph.D. program in statistics and can already see why no one says that grad school is easy. To be completely transparent, I struggled a bit with imposter syndrome during EDGE, and it has resurfaced twice as harshly at Columbia. It’s a reality that so many people face, and it brings me some comfort to know that I’m not the first—and will surely not be the last—to experience these feelings. I’m an optimist at heart, so I always try to look on the bright side of things. When doing so proves difficult, I gain strength from my community — which now includes the other EDGE participants. I am constantly reminded that I am here for a reason and am strong enough to succeed; this outpouring of love and support keeps me going and helps me see the beauty and potential in my struggles. I aspire to become a professor and a change agent within the sphere of academia. I wish to apply statistics to educational problems throughout the world and solve issues that pertain to the access and quality of education for underrepresented groups. With the help of EDGE, I know I will succeed in my purpose.

I want to thank the EDGE Program and SIAM for selecting me as this year’s EDGE Fellow, a recognition that further affirms my good performance. When I enrolled in the EDGE Summer Program, I had no idea that becoming a SIAM EDGE Fellow was even a possibility. I approached the experience with the goal of bettering myself, and it has been rewarding to have my efforts noticed. And to any students who may be reading this article, keep going! Remind yourself that you deserve to be in the room. Sometimes the journey may not look like how you imagined, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are capable of achieving your goals. If you are a woman who intends to pursue a Ph.D. in a mathematical field, I strongly encourage you to apply to EDGE. We need more women math warriors, and you won’t regret it! And if you are a professional in the field, I look forward to working beside you soon.

To learn more about the 2025 EDGE Summer Program—which will take place from June 1-28, 2025, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville—see the online announcement.