Subscribe to MWCC News Freshman Calculus student Corbin Grubb achieved the highest score out of all MWCC participants on a math test sponsored by the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC). The optional test was part of the AMATYC’s national competition for community college students. Corbin received a $100 prize for his performance from the MWCC Foundation. And there are still two more opportunities for him – or another MWCC student – to win $100.
“Corbin was one of the few students to have the initiative to take this test. He went in hopeful and came out a champion. He’s naturally gifted, and his victory is a testament to what we can do when we put our talents to work,” said Professor Thomas Valletta, Corbin’s instructor.
The AMATYC competition offers math tests in the fall and spring. Scores are entered from all over the country and both colleges and individual students compete to win the grand prize of $3000. To encourage MWCC students to enter the competition, the MWCC Foundation offers three opportunities for MWCC students to win a prize: achieve the top score in the fall, achieve the top score in the spring, or make the greatest improvement in your score between the fall and spring tests.
“The Foundation feels that mathematics is a hugely important and often avoided area of study and we want to encourage our students to embrace it,” said Carla Zottoli, Executive Director of the MWCC Foundation. “The more they participate in competitions such as this, the more comfortable they become with their mathematics skills, which is crucial to pursuing any degree in the STEM field.”
Professor Kenneth Takvorian has been MWCC’s coordinator for the AMATYC competition for 5 years. “The AMATYC math competition is a great way for MWCC students to hone their analytical thinking and problem-solving skills,” he said. “Thru the competition they can compare their skills to other New England college students as well as college students nationwide. It helps the students prepare for different science, technology, engineering, and math career paths.”
Fall competition winner Corbin Grubb plans a career in engineering. After MWCC, he will transfer and continue his studies at a major engineering school such as WPI, Northeastern, or MIT. But first, he will be taking Calculus 2 in the spring semester with Professor Shawn Case.
Entries for Round 2 of the test will be accepted from Friday, February 8 – Saturday, March 2, 2019. Students are encouraged to contact Professor Takvorian or the MWCC Math Department to participate in the spring competition.