As long as I can remember I've loved mathematics. As a student I always felt a sense of satisfaction and achievement when I was using mathematics, and I was fortunate to have a few great mathematics teachers who helped nurture my curiosity and love of the subject. Therefore it seemed natural for me to become a mathematics major in college. I almost switched majors when I encountered college calculus, but two things kept me on track—my insatiable interest in mathematics and the fact that all other majors required lots of term papers!

After earning a BA in mathematics I became a high school mathematics teacher, teaching in New York and New Jersey—everything from general math to advanced placement and computer science. During 18 years of teaching, I always took the opportunity to teach new courses and write new curricula, and I tried to convey the power of mathematics to my students. The expanded use of technology in the classroom motivated me to learn to program and use software in order to teach my classes more effectively. This experience proved to be an invaluable asset in my new career.

After years in the school environment, I looked for another way to use my mathematics background. I am currently a Product Manager for Prentice Hall School Division. My responsibilities include research analyses for new products, development of new mathematics programs, sales forecasting, creating promotional pieces, supporting the sales force (via competitive analyses and sales presentations), and budgeting.