What makes you a Difference Maker?

J.R.R Tolkien’s character Gandalf the Gray once said, “I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” I agree with Gandalf’s sentiment and try to live in a way which exemplifies this. Therefore, I do not seek grandiose ways of helping people, but rather strive to make differences wherever they are needed. Offering patience, a kind word, a listening ear, or helping to complete the problem which escapes a person is how I help those around me. I believe the most important way in which one can make a difference is to help an individual to cultivate virtues.

Tell us about your leadership experience.

Although I am not currently a tutor for any campus organizations, I tutor students privately. Especially while campuses are closed, I privately help students who struggle with particular problems, or help them to understand course material when presented with challenges such as, less face-time with teachers. Outside of school-related activities, I am a committee head for my Diocese’s Parish Life Conference in 2022, which is a yearly meeting of Antiochian Orthodox parishes throughout the Midwest. For this position, I am responsible for organizing a talk between the bishop and youths at the conference. Specifically, I will be recruiting help in effecting this meeting, organizing a space, as well as organizing the flow of the talk. I have also participated in the Bible Bowl, which is a competition displaying in-depth knowledge of scripture, for which my team of three placed second two years in a row- missing first place by one point.

What is your dream career or goal?

My dream career is to be a professor of mathematics. I love math, and see it as an integral part of who I am. I also understand many people have an aversion to math and often feel discouraged when it comes to its concepts. My mom was one such person. Since she was young, she was told that she simply “wasn’t very good at math.” As such, she gave up on it, not realizing how capable she really was until after having taught seven of her eight children through eighth-grade algebra. My goal is not to become the best or the most famous mathematician in the land, but rather to make a difference in the lives of my students, one day at a time, and to offer them the encouragement they need to accomplish their goals.

What is your most defining moment?

My most defining experience at UM-Dearborn was my first semester English class. Throughout my early education and high school years, I developed proficient skills at writing to earn good grades. Although I had a knack for writing, I disliked it and only wrote when absolutely necessary. However, my professor in this college English course taught me writing in such a way it ‘clicked’ with my mathematical and logical tendencies. I then became more enthusiastic about writing and how it can be used to inform and help others while being able to express my opinions. I am very grateful to this professor for opening me up to new experiences and perspectives and challenging me to express myself in new ways.