My Favorite Professor

Professor Goodman... opened up her doors to a young Carolina freshman like myself, she talked to me, and she made me feel special in a sense that no teacher of mine had done before. When you come to CAROLINA, I guarantee that many, if not all, of your professors will make a lasting impression on you if you take the time to get to know them.

The First Year Seminar program here at Carolina is a great way for first year students to become actively involved with the top-notch professors that the university has to offer. Unfortunately, I was unable to get on of these classes during my first semester here at Carolina; however, during the spring of my freshman year, I had the opportunity to enroll in one of the greatest first year seminar classes and have one of the greatest mathematics professors here at the university.

Yes, I am a math major – and, who wouldn’t have guessed that my first year seminar would have been one focused on mathematics. I signed up for Honors 006P with Professor Sue Goodman, and all I knew about the class before I stepped into Graham Memorial on a Tuesday in January 2004 was that the class was focused on Fractals. Honestly, I had no idea in the whole wide world what a fractal was – all I knew was that the class was focused on mathematics and that the professor was supposedly a good one. I kept an open mind and an open notebook and went to class – but boy, was it different!

Over the course of the semester, Professor Goodman and I began to discuss my interest in mathematics and why I had chosen to become a high school math teacher upon the completion of my undergraduate degree. Many walks to Phillips Hall from Graham Memorial, several office hour visits, and meetings about anything and everything, I realized that I had found a friend in my professor. I knew this was the case because no longer did I feel obligated to discuss things pertaining to class and academics with Professor Goodman; she was open to discussing a multitude of things with me.

I consider Professor Goodman my favorite because of the fact that she opened up her doors to a young Carolina Freshman like myself and talked to me and made me feel special in a sense that no teacher of mine had done before. Up to this day, I can stop by her office just to say hello, to talk with her about school, life, family, friends and of course MATH! When you come to CAROLINA, I guarantee that many, if not all, of your professors will make a lasting impression on you if you take the time to get to know them.