Senior members of the Calculus Project, a program geared toward bringing more African-American and Latino students to high level math classes, gathered in the MLK Room today with dean and Calculus Project leader Melanee Alexander and former dean Adrian Mims to celebrate their success in the program.

This group of seniors is the “second cohort,” the second group of students to graduate the project, which Mims launched in 2009. Of those who attended, nearly all were in AP-level math courses.

During the meeting, Alexander asked the students to share their experiences as participants in the program. Students discussed the advantages of clustering and the generous support system provided by the program, citing Calculus Project teachers as key influences on their ability to persist on their journey towards calculus.

“I feel like I’ve had a lot of teachers who genuinely want me to succeed,” senior Elizabeth Quiñonez said.

Mims went on to explain that the Calculus Project is not geared so much towards grades as much as training students to build their resilience and learn skills that will carry them beyond high school.

When asked to share advice for future Calculus Project students, senior Nathaniel Bekele explained the importance of perseverance in classes that may feel too difficult at first, saying that “it gets better.”

“Don’t get discouraged,” Bekele said. “Put yourself out there.”

Check out our profile of the Calculus Project here.

Sofia Tong can be contacted at [email protected]