by Tyler Clark
I hope everyone is having a great semester. This semester has been incredibly busy for me, as I am sure it has been for most students.
Lately, I have been thinking about how lucky I am to have had such an amazing mentor during my undergraduate education. I first met Dr. Tom Richmond when I had a multivariable calculus class with him. The Honors College at WKU required me to do an augmentation project for the class. This really was my first time to get to know Dr. Richmond. We worked projecting a trig identity onto the z-axis. Upon completion of this project, he encouraged me to present it at the annual WKU Mathematics Symposium.
The following semester, I began working on my Honors thesis. Dr. Richmond was an ideal choice, considering how much he had helped me grow as a mathematician from the “small” augmentation we had completed together. He introduced me to point-set topology and worked with me in developing a thesis topic and eventually a final product.
The research involved with my thesis produced a publication and allowed me to speak at several conferences around the state and also at the joint math meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Richmond really is the reason I am where I am today and I thank him so much for devoting so much time and energy to helping me succeed.
If you have a special mentor that has gone beyond the normal to help you succeed, make sure you thank them and let them know just how much you appreciate what they are doing. Also, if you have a unique mentor story, please share it with us. We would love to hear about them!