I was raised on the southside of Atlanta by an independent, strong mother. We experienced a series of unfortunate events throughout my childhood and teenage years that forced me to find peace in an unusual place — mathematics. We were not able to afford summer camps/programs, so instead I’d wander into libraries to read math books for the next grade level. My mom, encouraging towards my “odd” academic interest, arranged for me to attend Westlake High School’s Math & Science Magnet program in SW Atlanta. However, even being in this rigorous program for four years did not make a college education guaranteed because at the end of the day we were still victims of generational poverty. To my surprise, I was not only accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology, but was also offered a full-ride through the G. Wayne Clough Tech Promise Scholarship which was specifically for academically qualified students with systemic financial barriers.

My matriculation through Georgia Tech was most positively affected by being a member and leader in the National Society of Black Engineers, conducting research at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, CA, and studying abroad in the Budapest Semester in Mathematics in Hungary. In 2016, I graduated as the 9th Black woman to earn a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from the institute which came with great celebration, however, the accomplishment continues to leave me quite unsettled. I was the only Black student in all of my advanced courses with no shared cultural/ethnic relations to the faculty of an institute in a city with a significantly high Black population. It was partly this stark reality that prompted me to found, Afrithmetic, a mathematics educational company. Through this company I was able to offer tutorial services, content workshops, and summer programs to uplift students and families who did not usually have access to quality service.

I am now at the University of Michigan pursuing my Ph.D. in Mathematics Education and Masters in Applied Mathematics with research interest focused on the experience of Black students in mathematics as they transition from high school into four-year universities. I have taken a step back from Afrithmetic to focus on my doctoral studies, but I am actively looking for interested people to help reboot its most significant programs.