Women in STEM: Davielle Smith

This week, I sat down with Davielle Smith (junior, math and music) to talk about her experience as a student studying mathematics, a field in which women's representation is lacking, but growing.

Hi, Davielle. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today! First of all, I think we should definitely talk about your majors, music and math! I must say that is an interesting combination, knowing not just the different talents each major requires, but how time-consuming it is to practice the skills for each of them. May I know what was the motivation behind choosing these majors, and how you juggle with your time?

Well, during middle school, I always enjoyed doing math. The thing is, I did not enjoy it because I was particularly good at math, because I'm not. I haven't been good at math all throughout high school, middle school, or honestly, any part of my life. I feel much more comfortable with music, and math is personally more complicated and requires a lot of practice and self-control from me. But that is what I like about math; it challenges me to achieve a deeper understanding, which is definitely a different kind of enjoyment compared to what I earn from music, although I find these two subjects my passion. That is why when I came to college, I chose math as my major, along with music, because I wanted to learn and challenge myself. Time-wise, I contribute much more time towards math since I feel competent with music, but not so for math, so I think it works out in the end.

So there is this idea, or maybe stereotype, that math majors are incredibly smart due to the abstract ideas and concepts that are dealt with within this field. While studying as a math major, were there moments when you had to deal with imposter syndrome, and if so, how did you overcome them?

Well, I do not think I've overcome impostor syndrome yet. It's tough because I consider myself being in the lower percentage of my math classes. If the teacher asks us to solve proofs on the board, it'll take me a while to understand the concepts. Meanwhile, somebody else will have just finished it five minutes ago when I still haven't even completely understood what the question is trying to ask.

I don't beat myself up about my slow progress, because I know I can understand the concepts in the end. But I do admit I sometimes feel anxious about raising my hand and asking questions in class, because I feel like other people would think the answer to my question is obvious or easy. And of course this is school, and you're supposed to ask, but I do feel like my learning process is much slower than others, which sometimes intimidates me. To deal with these emotions, I just acknowledge that it takes me longer to understand. That's why I practice in the evenings on my own time, instead of wasting time. I make, or at least try to make, some spare time for math every evening to look at the concepts so that I'm not holding the class back.

Acknowledging and accepting yourself is powerful, but you did not stop there. You found what you can do at your given place! I would love to hear some triumphant or proud moments you had as a math major that showed you that hard work paid off.

Actually, yeah, I had one during my first semester here! So I transferred here from Pacific Union College last year and the first class I took here was Calc III. I was a bit overwhelmed by the difficulties of the math concepts that we had to study for our first exam. I didn't think the test would go well, and I did not feel great even during the test. The best I could expect was a 75%, although I did attempt to solve all the questions, including the extra credit. But I actually got a 99% on it. The score itself was not something that made me proud, but it encouraged me because it showed me it was all worth it—overcoming the feeling of incapability, and staying assured about God's plan for me. God has allowed me to major in the two subjects I enjoy, regardless of my talents. So even though sometimes it might be too difficult, now I know I have to give it some time, maybe take a break, and then jump back at it; regardless of the result: whether it be 50 or 99, I know I'm going to try and attempt it, because it's still going to be worth it.

Remarkable! So how do you plan to utilize all these experiences you have earned by being a math major?

Well, I'm currently planning on going to grad school to continue my career in academia, but that's a loose construct as to my plan for the future because I'm not sure what I would like to major in grad school. I will take one step at a time, and things will happen.

Now that you mention academia, I also remember seeing you at the poster presentation with your team last Friday. Could you tell me what the overall experience was like?

It was incredible, because I worked in a group with three other students. Just the fact that I wasn't doing the research alone gave me room to be more spontaneous, open-minded, and efficient with our group work. It also lessened each person's workload, because we were not working alone. We could ask each other if we have questions, and be each other's emotional support.  The team was a bit awkward the first few weeks since I was the only female in the group, and I knew none of them before this research, but Dr. Bosman helped us get to know each other by creating an inviting environment and being playful. So it wasn't a long-lasting problem.

Before we part, I would like to hear your personal opinions about women in STEM. Although the number of women in the STEM field is increasing, it is still pretty low. I remember one of my math professors mentioning that she did not see any women professors when she was in college. Fortunately, we have multiple women professors from diverse backgrounds in our STEM department, including math, and I'd like to know how that affects you.

I have to admit I haven't really taken the time to appreciate that we do have a good representation of women in the STEM department at Andrews. But I would say they make an important statement by just being there. I've often heard that it's easier to aspire to become something when you see people who look like you are doing it. So I think subconsciously, I have appreciated seeing Dr. Weldon, Dr. Oh, and Dr. Henson in the math departments and seeing how ridiculously brilliant they are. I think it gives me hope that there is no biological deficiency that women have that would prohibit us from learning incredibly complex topics.

Lastly, do you think it is crucial for women and girls to have increased exposure to STEM and related studies?

Yes, for sure. Having plenty of exposure to STEM while growing up was exactly what made me decide on my major after all. I grew up in New York, and in a big city like there, anyone was able to do anything. I had many math teachers and two of them were women, so their teaching showed me that women were just as competent as men in math. Not that I had any preconceived notions against women, but the general environment itself prevented me from forming those ideas in the first place. It helped me to build healthier thoughts regarding equality between both sexes. It's important that every woman knows that they are just as mentally competent as men. Anyone can be an innovator, CEO of a startup or a tech company. Women are capable, and we can all aspire to be there if we desire to. It would be unfair that those options would not even be given in the first place, and education is what provides those options.