Going Above and Beyond: Student Employees of the Month for September
A newly created program, the Department of Mathematics aims to highlight and show appreciation to our hard working student employees.
Every month, the Department of Mathematics recognizes student employees that are “exceptional and valuable members” of the department. Nominated for going above and beyond in their roles, here are September’s students of the month. This is a new program created by the department to recognize the hard work of our student employees.
Jacob G.
Jacob G. is an Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA) for Math 223 and has been with the department for 6 semesters now. He is majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mathematics, and enjoys running the exam review for Math 223. Additionally, Jacob was the first student accepted to the Applied Mathematics Accelerated Master’s Program here at the U of A. He is currently taking graduate classes and will graduate with a Master’s in 2027. His career goal is to work at Arizona Public Service and down the road become a Mathematics teacher as a retirement plan.
May Yeap, a lecturer in the department, nominated Jacob saying, “Jacob has been a leader among the Math223 ULAs. His in-class presence and interactions with students are exemplary. He helps us guide new ULAs into their role… He proactively checks the assigned room for suitability, making sure he understands how to use the classroom technology. He prepares the review material checking with me about the suitability of the problems… He is definitely outstanding!”
In his free time, Jacob is a fourth-degree black belt and during the summers he teaches Tae Kwon Do to students ages 3-68.
Raahi R.
Raahi is an Undergraduate Teaching Coordinator (UTC) for Math 100 and has been with the department since August 2023. Raahi is majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology, with minors in Biochemistry and Economics. After graduation, Raahi plans to attend graduate school and possibly work as a data analyst or geneticist in the future.
“I loved working with the students and helping them succeed,” Raahi shared, “I truly enjoyed being in an environment that fostered my own growth and learning. As this was my very first job, it holds a very special place in my heart.”
Raahi was nominated by both Katherine Horan, Assistant Coordinator for Math 100, and Michelle Woodward, Director of Online Instruction. “Raahi is one of the most responsible and attentive UTCs I've worked with,” Katherine shared, “She has taken over leadership roles in a variety of spaces for Math 100 and acts as a mentor to our UTAs and our students, guiding both to improve how they interact with Math.”
“Raahi has been a standout from the moment she was hired,” Michelle noted, “Every role we have thrown at her she has not only figured out but helped us develop it further. She regularly takes new hires under her wing. She is cool under pressure. She lights up as she works with our students. I am honored to nominate her for this award.”
Sierra I.
Sierra I serves many roles as an APS Lead for Math 100, Online Exam Support team member, and Digital Media Student Coordinator, and has been with the department for 2 years. She is majoring in Design and Arts Practices. She notes that her favorite part of the job is “all the lovely people” she meets.
Sierra was nominated by Cheryl Ekstrom, Coordinator of Academic Support, Sarah Morrison, Administrative Assistant, and Tina Schuster, Director of Math Placement.
“Sierra is my right-hand (wo)man when it comes to video review,” Cheryl remarked, “No matter the class, once an exam's Honorlock videos have been reviewed, Sierra bats cleanup… She loves challenges—where some people might see a task as a major headache, she gets intrigued as to the challenge ahead of her, and eagerly finds a solution. I am so thankful that I have someone like Sierra to rely upon!”
Both Sarah and Tina agree that “Sierra has been amazing this past year. She is always joyful to be around and happy to work on projects. She contributes new ideas and is never afraid to try something new or try to solve a problem as it arises… She is attentive and has great attention to detail when working directly with students through answering Teams chats with Math 100 students. Sierra was so grateful to have the opportunity to work on the PPL video and sent a thank you note about it afterwards. She really enjoys her job, which makes her such a great student worker.”
In her free time, Sierra notes “I can’t cook in a kitchen, but I’m a grill master!”
Brian O.
Brian O is an Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA) for Math 119A and has been with the department since Fall 2023. He is majoring in Physiology and hopes to one day make it into medical school to become a physician. He notes that his favorite part of this role is “getting to know the students each semester and being someone they can trust to help them understand the material.”
Brian was nominated by lecturers Samantha Kao and Tynan Lazarus. “Brian has been an instrumental teaching team member since the overhaul of Math 119A in 2023,” Samantha shared, “Students regularly compliment his helpful and welcoming manner. As a student in the class, he demonstrated noticeable engagement in the coding aspect of the class, where students often felt most discouraged. He has been an invaluable member of our team ever since he joined the team!”
Additionally, Tynan notes that “Brian is currently the most experienced ULA on the team. He's punctual, kind and courteous to students, diligent in his grading, friendly and approachable during class and office hours, and is always willing to help others. This semester, he has stepped up and taken on the role model role for the new ULAs as well.”
Brian also works at Campus Crust at the student union and shared that “odds are, I’ve prepared your pasta if you’ve ever ordered one for dinner!”
Congratulations to these outstanding students. Thank you Jacob, Raahi, Sierra, and Brian for all that you do! Your contributions to our department are immeasurable, and the dedication you show in your roles is truly admirable.