My name is Dr. Richard Vigilante. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Master’s Degree in Mathematics from SUNY Stony Brook University in New York. Instead of earning a minor degree during my undergraduate year, I instead enrolled in a teaching program; this allowed me to earn my New York State teaching license upon completion of the program and successfully passing specific teaching exams. Following this, I enrolled in Grand Canyon University where I earned my Doctoral Degree in Leadership and Organizational Development. I started my teaching path back in 2006 and am currently on my 16th year within the field of education. I am glad that this is my third year teaching math here in BIPH.
Many people ask why I chose Mathematics as my major. For me, Mathematics made the most sense; it was clear, it followed set rules, and it was like a puzzle. I felt the most successful in this field throughout high school and thought it would be a great focus in college. Additionally, I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I began college. Why did I choose to be a teacher? Well, I really enjoy working with people and being social. My logic: I like math and I like helping people; Well, I guess I should be a Math Teacher.
Back in college there were many positive and many negative experiences within my major. I think the main positive was the challenge. For me, I really enjoyed getting stuck on something and then trying to navigate through the challenge. Whether I worked alone, with classmates, or with the professor, I always felt it was this giant puzzle for me to solve.
That said, there were two classes that blew my mind and were insanely difficult. Calculus 3: Multivariable Calculus (Undergraduate) and Probability and Statistics Theory (Graduate). Calculus 3 I just couldn’t wrap my mind around. I was working with three different variables in a 3-dimensional coordinate plane and I found it really complex. There was also a multitude of other things that made this a challenge, such as course content and the professor’s personality. I got through the course, but it just never truly made sense to me. Calculus 1, 2, and 4 were all absolutely fine, but Calculus 3 was a nightmare. Probability and Statistics Theory was one of my Graduate level courses and my second nightmare course during my collegiate journey. This course required students to prove the theories surrounding probability and statistics. Again, it was a course that I had a lot of trouble wrapping my mind around. Through a lot of hard work and many hours spent with the professor, I got through this one as well. I think the negative feeling I had was the feeling of being truly stuck on something; not being able to fully comprehend something no matter how hard I tried. That said, the only thing I could do was try my best and see how far I could get.
When I began my collegiate career, I sought out to be a Mathematics Teacher. I achieved this goal on multiple levels and have held varying positions within the field of education. While in college I also worked part-time. Although these weren’t professional jobs, nor were they related to my field of interest, they did help me earn money to pay for my degree.
If I had to choose a major again, I think I would still choose Mathematics. I really enjoy teaching math and I couldn’t envision myself teaching anything different. I still think math is fun and I have even more fun when I am helping others navigate the challenges I once had as a student. After all, why should I be the only one that gets to solve the puzzle?
I would like to offer advice to any student looking to study math in college. Any student who is going into the field of Mathematics needs to be patient. There are going to be days where nothing makes sense. Don’t give up! Work hard, keep studying, and seek out help when it is needed. I would not have been as successful as I was if it wasn’t for the various educators (and classmates) who took the time to sit down and work with me through the content with which I was having trouble. Seek out help when you are stuck. Do not ignore your areas of weakness as they will exponentially grow as new material is presented. For me, it is okay to not know how to do something; it is what you do with this knowledge of not knowing that will determine what happens next.