Cleve Young
Mathematics
Contact
After graduation: Cleve is continuing his education at UNL, pursuing a Ph.D. in Mathematics. He will be funded by the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Hometown: Decatur, NE
High school: Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Semester Selected: Fall 2021
What inspired you to pursue STEM? Math is the language of the universe, and I felt is was my responsibility to be as fluent in it as I could be.
What is the best project you’ve ever worked on or really admire in STEM? As I'm preparing for my undergraduate thesis, I have been introduced to the Algebra Project and the Young People's Project. If you haven't heard of them I strongly encourage you to look into them. The work they do is so valuable and it so greatly aligns with my philosophy of math education.
Who is someone (teacher, mentor, role model) in STEM you look up to and why? Almost everyone I've had contact with since starting in STEM has inspired me. From my first instructor Justin, who I took Trig with, and his excitement talking about proofs and his willingness to go above and beyond to answer my questions about more than just the class, to all my current professors and peers within STEM CONNECT whose passion and drive are inspirations in the truest sense of the word.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering a STEM major? Don't let the fear of it "being too hard" or anything of that nature stop you. There is a ton of support for you from LA's, TA's, Professors, and the Departments themselves, and they all want you to succeed. Go to office hours, resource centers and definitely talk to the other students around you.
What is one misconception about STEM that you want to break? There is a long standing misconception that "Boys are better than girls at Math and Science", and this is absolutely ludricous. There is no "math gene".
What excites you about STEM? STEM is so often people of different disciplines and different backgrounds coming together to identify and solve problems. It really shows the potential of humanity.