Alumni Spotlight Series: Eva Kottou

She has utilized her double-major as a way to intertwine mathematics with sociological theory based on marketing, aesthetics, and behavioral patterns. Below is a question and answer discussion with Eva about her experience as a student and tutor at RSM Rocky Hill. 

How long were you a student at RSM? 

I first joined RSM Rocky Hill in seventh grade and continued until grade ten. Over the course of my time here, I took classes in both algebra and geometry. 

What was your favorite thing about RSM classes? 

I enjoyed getting the opportunity to deeply explore math concepts and problems in my RSM classes. Additionally, my RSM teachers always stopped to answer questions and review practice problems, all students were equally engaged and committed to challenging themselves which ensured that learning was the priority. As I continued to take RSM classes, the same students filled the classroom which allowed us to bond after school. While each student came from a different district with slightly different material being taught, all RSM students were not only motivated by the same goal of learning higher-level mathematics but they were eager to help one another. 

Tell us about your experience as an RSM tutor. 

I first began tutoring at RSM in my sophomore year of high school and continued to work as a tutor up until I was a freshman in college. Working with students from first to seventh grade, I always loved finding different and creative ways to explain homework problems. Whether it was algebraic word problems or geometry problems, I would look forward to speaking with students and working with them to create an explanation or method which could be used to address the problem. At the same time, I found it so interesting that each students’ understanding differed and, as such, tutoring taught me the flexibility in mathematical learning. 

How has your experience as an RSM student shaped your experience in college? 

Throughout my time at RSM, I developed a strong affinity for mathematics and numbers. Finding math fairly easy in school, RSM allowed me to find a new challenge for myself and view math through both theoretical as well as applied forms. As I entered high school and took my first economics class, I immediately fell in love with the ways economics acts as a bridge between human behavior and quantitative thinking. 

Now, as a double-major in economics and sociology I continue to apply mathematics to patterns in human behavior and data analysis. Currently, I am working on a research project which aims to use calculus and linear algebra to dissect data on how parenting styles affect mental disorders in children. This ability to view math in a way that is applicable to other fields and realms of study was only possible due to my time at RSM. Being a student at RSM truly helped shape my love of math and for quantifying patterns which exist all around us. 

How do you see math continuing to be a part of your life after college? 

After college, I hope to work in public policy or the federal government, a position which would allow me to better understand societal behaviors and social struggles. While I may not be using math directly in my career, the critical thinking and analytical skills I have developed by studying math will definitely come in handy.