Byram Hills High School inducted 47 students into the Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society, celebrating their achievements in math and passion and determination.
“These students have worked hard to be in the seats they are in today,” math teacher Elyse Sauer said at the April 27 induction ceremony. “I’m excited to celebrate each and every one of their accomplishments.”
For membership, students need an A average in at least two levels of high school math and must perform 10 hours of community service. At least half of the hours need to be devoted to Byram Hills Mu Alpha Theta activities like puzzle day and tutoring students at the high school and H.C. Crittenden Middle School.
“It is with proud recognition of your skill and interest in mathematics that we welcome you to Mu Alpha Theta,” said senior Aliza Hammond, the chapter president. “May we someday add your name to the list of great mathematicians who have helped the world advance.”
Before inducting the members, the senior officers discussed the history of Mu Alpha Theta and mathematics, the mathematics of the future and shared their reflections and advice.
Aliza noted the requirements for membership into Mu Alpha Theta.
“These efforts are indicative of the notion that math is more than just formulas, calculations and numbers,” she said. “Math is about solving a variety of problems and ultimately making advancements to better our globe.”
Aliza shared that as a middle school student, she cried before and after every math test and studied for hours in search of perfection. But her perspective changed in high school when she understood that math was necessary for solving real-world problems.
She urged inductees to go the extra mile by asking questions, talking with their teachers and researching real-world applications of the concepts they learn in class.
“Ultimately, think about math as more than formulas, calculations and numbers,” Aliza said. “Think about math as a tool set, your tool set, that might just come in handy down the road when you are faced with real-world problems where math can help. It is at that point when you will truly become a mathematician.”
Vice president Milena Chen thanked her teachers - Rebecca Barnum, Barbara O'Connell and Lisa Pellegrino - for encouraging her passion in math and teaching her the value of collaboration in math.
“I found the ability to share your findings and being open to learning from peers is key,” Milena said. “Specifically, collaborating with others encourages us to explore new concepts, experiment with new ideas and expand our problem-solving capacities, skills that are essential to success both within and outside of education environments.”
Senior Zachary Berkowitz, the chapter co-secretary, said that when he first came to high school, he found math to be uninteresting, difficult and thought it was something he would never use. His perception changed when he learned to code and taught coding to young students last summer. He saw them applying mathematical concepts to create beautiful and functional programs.
“Math is not just a chore but a tool to be creative,” he said. “It’s about perseverance and always looking for new applications. As I go on to college next year majoring in a field heavily dominated by math, I am not intimidated, but excited on how I can use it for the rest of my life.”
Senior Tyler Lynch, the other co-secretary, discussed learning the life skill of perseverance through math and noted the real-world applications from mathematics like understanding the opioid crisis, oil spills and the 2008 mortgage crisis.
“I encourage all of you to embrace math and its many challenges,” he said. “It may not be the easiest subject but it is one of the most important ones. Math teaches us skills we will use for the rest of our lives and helps us to really understand the world around us in a unique way.”
The new members of the Byram Hills chapter of Mu Alpha Theta are: Jared Aberman, Regina Bisgaier, Charlotte Brodbeck, Jack Canter, Lucas Canter, John Cavada, John Chicoine, Nicolette DiSano, Summer Feng, Ariana Foreman, Laurel Fox, Shruthi Franklin, Arianna Garcia, Rebecca Geller, Emily Goldman, Gabriel Goldman, Casey Goldstein, Thomas James Guido, Morgan Hecht, Owen Jacobs, Gavin Jakubek, Charlotte Karp, Chloe Kohl, Owen Lee, Aaron Lepofsky, Andrew Levy, Benjamin Levy, Maya Licznerski, Cooper Lipton, Demetra Loumbas, Julia Mahairas, Sarina Metsch, Ryan Nichols, Sarah Park, Jessica Pedersen, Margaret Pollack, Charlie Rosee, Benjamin Rothenberg, Aidan Schissler, Emily Stangel, Aaron Stein, Avery Talbot, Gabriella Vella, Gavin Webster, Jordyn Wolf, Emmett Wolland and Alexander Woodworth.
Each student was recognized and received a blue and gold Mu Alpha Theta tassel.
Mu Alpha Theta, founded in 1957, is the national high school and two-year college mathematics honor society. The Byram Hills chapter is among about 1,800 across the United States and abroad.
