Noelle Sawyer
A little about me…
I am proud to be from The Bahamas where I grew up with two sisters, supportive parents, and two grandmothers who were always excited to see me and excited to see that I was doing well.
My journey into math has never been clear cut for me at any time, but in hindsight everything aligned so well. In high school I had a few good math teachers and I really liked getting to an answer at the end! But I also really liked geography, history, and physics! At Vassar College, I majored in history and math because those were the only majors that I knew about but didn’t think that I would hate. I spent most summers at home with my parents, teaching summer school math at my old school for a few weeks each time. At the end of sophomore year, someone dropped out of Vassar’s internal REU (Undergraduate Research Summer Institute) and I ran into the professor who was running it. He asked me if I was still interested, and I was! I wasn’t eligible for most summer programs that weren’t affiliated with the college since I was on a student visa.
From there, someone happened to mention near me that you could apply directly into STEM PhD programs, and they were often paid for. I made a list and applied, and I only applied to Wesleyan because my advisor suggested it a little before the deadline. Comically, I walked through an incoming snowstorm to the nearest mailbox to submit my application materials. One of my letters was late, and I didn’t find out until my letter writer had already called the Wesleyan math department to apologize and ask if they’d still take it. Here I am a decade later, an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Southwestern University, with the Genevieve & Thatcher Atkin Junior Professorship in Mathematics.
As to current achievements, they are that I am on the third semester of running a program for dynamics grad students called big ideas in Dynamics, that I have a great relationship with my department, that I have friends and family that love me, and that I still make time to bake, climb, and explore Texas. My greatest achievement might be that my grandmothers would be so, so proud of me if they were still here.
If you’re looking for advice from me, it is that if you’re already focused on your job, it’s probably the other areas of your life that need attention. I am not a fan of the idea that there’s some magic work-life balance we can achieve with the right time management skills and enough seminars. Work is overwhelming. Life is overwhelming. Get a therapist if you’re financially able. Find something fun to do regularly.
Do you really care about social injustices? The condition of students and staff on campus? The genocides happening before our eyes? The environment? Disenfranchisement of minoritized people? Join local grassroots groups. Follow good accounts on social media! Stay informed. Put some money toward it if you have it. Speak up in meetings. Get uncomfortable. I am tired, as I am sure that you are tired, but you have power that other people around you do not.
Even when you’re worn out, life feels the best when you feel fulfilled. I have found that fulfillment cannot just come from my job. It comes from creating community, supporting others, supporting causes, and remembering that the core of my being is not math, but my humanity.