All About Anne

As customary on TheMathMom's website we are honoring each of our 50-puzzle points winner with an exclusive interview. This week it is Anne.

Q: Dear Anne. Does your work have anything to do with math?

I am recently retired and after working in a hospital I spent most of my career as a visiting nurse for my county.  Of course I had to use math for medication administration and proper dosage.  When going into a home there was much problem solving and creativity involved which I enjoyed.  The home environment, especially on a new visit, does not have all the health amenities of a hospital and you must figure out how to proceed with what is there, which can be very little and/or not as hygienic as you need or would prefer.  You must also problem solve to assist the patient in following instructions and adapting them to a sometimes challenging household environment or because of personal reservations.

Q:If you could go back, what profession would you choose and why.

I love the basis of the healthcare field (forget about the insurance, politics, etc!).  It is based on science, something new is always being discovered, it is challenging and it helps people.  If I could choose again I would definitely choose a scientific field, maybe healthcare again or something in astronomy or physics or medical research, and I think it would be fun to be a detective or someone who can crack sophisticated codes!

Q: Is there a childhood mentor who infused your interest in math?

I would have to say my parents.  My father was an engineer and my mother was a science major in college so their interest in things math/science related was always there.  I guess you take for granted your father's tinkering, contraptions and the lack of repairmen coming to the house!  They definitely supported and encouraged a full math/science curriculum for me when it was not the usual way for a girl.  I loved the subject matter but not the fact that I could be the only, or one of a few, girls in the class ...... but I continued and was a math major in college.

Q: Do you think math helps you in your daily life?

I definitely think math helps in your daily life, from simple things like cooking, sewing, smart shopping to home repairs and financial decisions to a certain way of thinking that solves problems.

And may I add that my children are grown and my days as a Math Mom are over.  Neither child avoided math and, in fact, took many advanced mathematics courses.  My son in an engineer with an MBA and my daughter is a neuropsychologist,  both professions where math is used.  I have two grandchildren now and, while I know their parents will raise them with an appreciation for math, I have moved on to Math (Grand)Mom!

Anne is the 8th person to reach such a celebrity status on our pages. Before her there were: Kim, Tom, Jerome, Ilya, TracyZ, Anne-Marie, and Wang.