Class of 2020: This graduate sees beauty, and a career, in mathematics
Drew Scalzo is one of the members of the Spring Class of 2020 chosen as a student speaker at commencement. He is graduating with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics, summa cum laude.
Hometown: Canfield, Ohio
High School: Canfield High School
How did you come to choose your major?
I want to understand the language of the world around us, and mathematics is the basis of all understanding. It is utilized to interpret the phenomena of the world and universe we live in, while at the same time unifying all of us under one universal language. I simply seek to find the beauty in it.
What brought you to The University of Akron?
It was the perfect balance between wanting to move away from my parents and three siblings and being just close enough in case I had an emotional breakdown.
What’s next?
I will be attending The University of South Carolina to complete my Ph.D. in Mathematics.
Q: What college experience contributed the most to your personal growth?
A: Marching Band is by far the experience that contributed most to my personal growth. When I participated in Marching Band, it was my first semester at Akron. The time commitment I faced as a result was pretty harsh, with over 20 hours a week dedicated to band and 18 credits to worry about. I had to learn real quick how to manage my time, and I’m glad to say I did. The experience brought about real relationships and experiences, but through it, I was able to remain dedicated to my school work. In the midst of the craziness, I found out how to prioritize my time, a skill that has served me well these past few years.
Q: Best advice you ever got from a professor?
A: “Don’t take everything so seriously.” — Dr. James Cossey, professor of mathematics, a man of eclectic humor. It’s important to do well in your academics and school work, but if you live your life in the pursuit of one goal, you miss the experiences that happen right in front of you. Find the time to enjoy the people in your life who matter, and try to isolate when it’s time to be serious and not.
Q: Favorite campus activity?
A: Starbucks, in any form. Walking to get Starbucks. Thinking about getting Starbucks. Thinking about walking to get Starbucks (that’s my favorite one by the way). The bowling alley on the bottom floor of the Jean Hower Taber Student Union is great as well. I never won, probably because I was drinking a grande white chocolate mocha iced (no regrets) while I bowled, but I still had fun. You should try it sometime.
Drew Scalzo's remarks to graduates
Q: Where’s your favorite place on campus? Why?
A: First floor of Bierce Library, second chalkboard from the right of the wall with “TUTORING CENTER” plastered on it. It has the perfect acoustic settings in all of Bierce. The air conditioner is directly above you, providing a gentle breeze when fumes of anger come out of your ears because you don’t understand integration or series. On all sides of you, there are intellectually superior beings that are able to assist you at any notice (you should go see them). And on the chalkboard railing, lies the most capable eraser ever constructed with the ability to erase your mistakes as cleanly and swiftly as possible, almost as if they never happened (they did). It may or may not have my last name written on the back of it.
Q: What’s your advice to incoming freshmen?
A: My advice to incoming freshmen is to find the time to enjoy what’s in front of you. We all have to take courses that are not necessarily our favorite, but make the most of it. There are probably people in the class who feel the same as you, so bond over that and develop friendships. There’s a time to be serious and there’s a time to be a college student. Get together with your friends, watch a movie, wait in a 20-minute line just to get a pink drink at Starbucks. Enjoy the experiences that are available to you in the moment. Finally, challenge yourself every day to be a kinder person. Hold the door open for someone, say thank you to the barrista at Starbucks (gosh, I talk about Starbucks a lot), and compliment your friend on their new hairstyle that definitely doesn’t look good. Be a better human first, the degree will follow.