PLF Spotlight: Marshall Brandenburg

STEM Gateway is so proud of the Peer Learning Facilitator program but it would be nothing without our awesome PLFs. These student employees are some of the most passionate, hard working, and skilled on campus. We are so excited to brag about them every month in our newly created PLF Spotlight. April’s segment is devoted to the brilliant Marshall Brandenburg!

 

Marshall has been with the PLF program since 2013 and has served in Math 116 Topics in Pre-Calculus, Math 121 College Algebra, Math 162 Calculus I, and Math 180 Elements of Calculus courses. Needless to say, Marshall is obviously a math gateway course wiz! (Check out the PLF office hours sheet on our blog for Marshall’s office hours schedule - hint, hint!!)

 

PLFs support student learning in their assigned STEM courses, which typically include helping with in-class work, grading low-stakes assignments, proctoring exams, and holding office hours. As evidenced in classroom observations, Marshall’s strengths as a PLF include patience, professionalism, and compassion. It is clear to anyone who watches Marshall work with students that he truly cares and makes their success a priority. However, Marshall’s self-proclaimed greatest memory on the job comes from his work in office hours. He tutored a struggling student who ultimately received a 100% on a calculus test. This is no easy feat for a student, and Marshall considers this to be a significant accomplishment for both the student and in his position as a PLF.

 

Although Marshall personally contributes a great deal to the PLF program, it has developed through the interactions with professional role models he has met through STEM Gateway. UNM Mathematics faculty member, Derek Martinez, inspires him with his noticeable passion for the subject mater. Marshall similarly admires former PLF Program Specialist, Mary Cianflone, for her devotion to the success of students in STEM fields and compassion as a leader.

 

Aside from being an awesome student employee, Marshall is also a STEM student himself. Majoring in Applied Mathematics, he hopes to go on to graduate school in the field and one day accomplish his personal goals of being published and working at one of New Mexico’s National Labs. He is well on his way to accomplishing great things. Marshall has already toured and watched a presentation from the Center for Non-Linear Studies at Los Alamos National Labs. He was also accepted to the Mentoring through Critical Transition Points (MCTP) Mathematics Summer Camp 2015 at UNM. 

AEON Mixer and Celebration!

Join us for the final AEON event of the semester! Relax, eat food, meet Lobo Louie, and network with your fellow students and professionals in STEM.

PLF Spotlight: Sara Spear

In this blog post, STEM Gateway presents our very first PLF Spotlight! 

Each month, our Peer Learning Facilitator program will highlight the story of one of our current PLFs to demonstrate the profound affect the grant has had on students at the University of New Mexico. In the month of March, we are featuring Sara Spear.

Sara’s first interaction with STEM Gateway was in the fall of 2012 when she enrolled in a PLF-served Math 180 (Elements of Calculus) course. In this class, she was able to experience directly the support that PLFs provide. Sara excelled in the subject and was urged by her instructor at the end of the semester to apply for a position. After she spoke with her Math 180 PLFs about the opportunity, the rest is history!

STEM Gateway is fortunate to have had Sara with us for five semesters now. She has supported the grant’s mission of helping underrepresented students succeed in lower level STEM courses through service in MATH 116 (Trig/Pre-calculus), MATH 121 (College Algebra), and MATH 180 (Elements of Calculus). Even further, Sara has contributed to the STEM field by becoming a student of the discipline herself.

Sara began her undergraduate career as an architecture major. But after working as a PLF, she realized her true passion-- mathematics. Since then, Sara has changed her major with the intention of going on to graduate school and ultimately becoming a mathematics professor. Sara believes the most rewarding parts of her the job are when students thank her on test day and when she sees students finally connect with a concept they have been struggling to understand. These cherished moments have led Sara to realize her calling as a mathematics professor. She knows the skills gained as a PLF will serve her well in her future career.

As a math major, honors student and PLF; it has not been easy but Sara excels in all that she does. Moreover, she exudes a positive and enthusiastic attitude noticed by all, especially the students in her classroom. We are immensely proud of Sara and all she has accomplished.