We are going to share with you some of our graduates who earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Saint Leo University.
Bruce Cutler '11
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"I graduated from Saint Leo in May 2011 with my B.A. in Mathematics, supplemented with minors in Computer Programming and Management Information Systems. Following my time at Saint Leo, I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to pursue a M.S. in Computer Science at The College of William and Mary, Virginia. Pursuing graduate studies in the field of computer science enabled me to apply the problem solving and analytical skills I developed during my time at Saint Leo towards intriguing and challenging research problems in a variety of areas.
Interested in pursuing a career within the technology sector, I examined career paths with various software development and technical consulting firms. I presently work for Exeter Group, a mid-size IT consulting/software development firm in Boston, Massachusetts. Working within the technical operations team as part of an innovative software project, my current position requires me to use a wide variety of analytical and technical skills acquired during both my undergraduate and graduate studies. Presented with unique challenges on a daily basis, my experiences as a student within the mathematics department at Saint Leo enable me to work effectively with others to analyze and tackle the issues at hand."
Rachel Cunio '17
Rachel Cunio (Saint Leo ‘17) is a graduate student at Wright State. She teaches lab sections of Introduction to Psychology (about 150 students per semester) and is planning on completing her master's thesis by the end of this semester. She will then be focused on qualifying exams and her dissertation.
For her master’s project, Rachel is looking at how to improve pilots' spatial awareness without overloading their visual system. She is collaborating with researchers at the Air Force Research Lab on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to study the effects of multimodal (i.e., auditory and tactile) cueing on visual search performance in immersive virtual environments.
Rachel has this to say about her education at Saint Leo:
“My time at Saint Leo prepared me for graduate school through its depth and breadth in terms of academics and professional/ personal development. Academically, my mixed math and psych coursework at Saint Leo gave me an edge above my peers while starting my graduate career in the Wright State University Mathematical Modeling of Human Performance Laboratory. Additionally, the Saint Leo Honors program Oral Exit Exam and thesis defense gave me direct experience for the challenges of doctoral qualifying exams and project defenses in graduate school. The Saint Leo Psychology Department senior internship program also provided valuable research experience that taught me how to use statistical tools to improve research and also showed me the importance of independently driven work. On a more personal level, the small class sizes and opportunities for mentorship with Saint Leo faculty and advisors prepared me for the primary method of learning in graduate school: apprenticeship under an academic advisor. In short, I am extremely grateful for my Saint Leo education and how well it prepared me for the challenges of graduate school.”
For her master’s project, Rachel is looking at how to improve pilots' spatial awareness without overloading their visual system. She is collaborating with researchers at the Air Force Research Lab on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to study the effects of multimodal (i.e., auditory and tactile) cueing on visual search performance in immersive virtual environments.
Rachel has this to say about her education at Saint Leo:
“My time at Saint Leo prepared me for graduate school through its depth and breadth in terms of academics and professional/ personal development. Academically, my mixed math and psych coursework at Saint Leo gave me an edge above my peers while starting my graduate career in the Wright State University Mathematical Modeling of Human Performance Laboratory. Additionally, the Saint Leo Honors program Oral Exit Exam and thesis defense gave me direct experience for the challenges of doctoral qualifying exams and project defenses in graduate school. The Saint Leo Psychology Department senior internship program also provided valuable research experience that taught me how to use statistical tools to improve research and also showed me the importance of independently driven work. On a more personal level, the small class sizes and opportunities for mentorship with Saint Leo faculty and advisors prepared me for the primary method of learning in graduate school: apprenticeship under an academic advisor. In short, I am extremely grateful for my Saint Leo education and how well it prepared me for the challenges of graduate school.”
Shadae Hector '19
Shadae graduated from Saint Leo University with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Accounting. She is a very talented individual whose goal after college is to take a gap year and work as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in Math at the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. After completing her TA position at John Hopkins, she will be attending the University of Connecticut (UCONN) for graduate school. She will be working towards a M.A. in Financial Mathematics with a specialization in Actuarial Science. She chose this specific degree because of her passion for both Accounting and Mathematics.
Her ten-year plan after she earns her masters is to work at an insurance company as an Actuary and to rise in the ranks because of her hard-working mentality. She hopes to get married and have three beautiful children with whomever God sees fit to be her partner in crime. She also wants to be an active mom at her kids’ school to help develop a Mathematics Club, so that kids can learn from a young age that “Mathematics is a playground around us.” She also hopes to aim high like Dr. Monika Kiss, a Mathematics Professor at Saint Leo University, and earn her PhD in Actuarial Science. Her favorite quote to live by is “mistakes are proof that you are trying” by anonymous.
Her ten-year plan after she earns her masters is to work at an insurance company as an Actuary and to rise in the ranks because of her hard-working mentality. She hopes to get married and have three beautiful children with whomever God sees fit to be her partner in crime. She also wants to be an active mom at her kids’ school to help develop a Mathematics Club, so that kids can learn from a young age that “Mathematics is a playground around us.” She also hopes to aim high like Dr. Monika Kiss, a Mathematics Professor at Saint Leo University, and earn her PhD in Actuarial Science. Her favorite quote to live by is “mistakes are proof that you are trying” by anonymous.
John Kusmaul '19
John Kusmaul graduated from Saint Leo University in the Spring of 2019 with a B.A. in Mathematics and a minor in Computer Programming. He leveraged his degree in Math to educate others; after graduation, he was hired as a high school teacher. John is an avid golfer and worked at a golf course while attending our university. John started his academic career as an Electrical Engineering major at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) before switching to Computer Science. John had to leave FAU but chose to continue his education as a Mathematics major at Saint Leo because of the convenience; he lived close to campus and the flexibility of online classes fit his lifestyle.
John chose Mathematics because it helped develop his problem-solving capabilities and he especially enjoyed graph theory. He also appreciates the math department’s emphasis on public speaking but would have liked more experience, stating that he was “still a little nervous, but it’s a skill that [has] definitely improved.” John had this advice for other Mathematics majors:
“Form a tight group of peers that you can study with. You are more than likely going to see a lot of the same people in multiple classes and a good study group can be very helpful.”
John chose Mathematics because it helped develop his problem-solving capabilities and he especially enjoyed graph theory. He also appreciates the math department’s emphasis on public speaking but would have liked more experience, stating that he was “still a little nervous, but it’s a skill that [has] definitely improved.” John had this advice for other Mathematics majors:
“Form a tight group of peers that you can study with. You are more than likely going to see a lot of the same people in multiple classes and a good study group can be very helpful.”