Abby Integrates Applied Math Skills Across Myriad Projects

Meet Our Fellows Blog Series: Abby Stokes

When I was eleven, I very nearly showed up to school on Superhero Day dressed as a mathematician because I wanted, as I told my parents, to “save the world with math.” My dreams were crushed when my parents suggested that I pick a different costume. In retrospect, I realize they saved me from years of embarrassment for showing up to middle school in a pillowcase cape that read “Super Nerd” in sharpie.

I was always good at math as a kid, and better yet, it was something I enjoyed. That’s why when I left my hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota for the University of Notre Dame, I chose to study Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics. Through my studies, I learned that what it means to “apply” math simply means approaching questions analytically and curiously. And, the two are not mutually exclusive. This realization made applied math a far more creative field than I ever imagined.

Paul Lockhart, mathematician and educator, wrote, “Math is not about following directions, it’s about making new directions.” He claims that engaging in the creative process of invention and discovery is, in many ways, the whole point of mathematics. Math is not just searching for a formulaic solution—sometimes the solution doesn’t even exist! This is one of the most relevant lessons I have learned about the world through math: Real-world problems are really complicated, and most of them don’t have one clear solution. However, the key is that we try to find solutions and participate in the messy process of problem-solving itself.

After completing my degree, I chose to practice my problem-solving skills with enFocus in Northern Indiana. I was drawn to enFocus primarily because the Fellowship promised experiences in a wide variety of fields, which meant I would have diverse opportunities to interact with my community straight out of college. This has definitely proven true; I have contributed to projects in local government, education, technology, sustainability, and public health, all within my first two months! Every day offers something new in which I have the opportunity to work hard, serve others, and learn from those around me.

Maybe I can’t “save the world with math” in the same way my eleven-year-old self imagined, flying around and zapping away villains with crazy equations. Nobody can save the world—the only person that can already did it 2000 years ago. However, I know my younger self would be excited that I get to “do math” every single day at enFocus, whether that be directly through data analysis and coding or more broadly through applying analytical and creative approaches to difficult questions. All I can hope to do is to make a small, positive difference in the lives of those I cross paths with. enFocus has empowered me to utilize my skills and passions to make exactly this type of impact in a community I have grown to love.

Learn more about the 2021 enFocus Fellows weekly in our Meet Our Fellows Blog Series.