What brought me to math 1/17/2021
What brought me to math 1/17/2021
by Dan Alvey
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Why did I leave the Army to pursue a career in math? Why was "go to grad school to teach" always part of my life plan? I had always enjoyed helping people understand things better, always loved explaining things to people, even as a young kid trying to explain things that I had read to my parents. Once I was in high school, I started tutoring grade schoolers in math and that, I think, is where I first realized how fulfilling it was to help someone learn. Seeing that spark in someone's eye when they finally understand something that was vexing them is an indescribable rush that I just loved.
While I was at West Point, my then fiancée (now wife) entered grad school. This gave me a window into what life in academia could be and I knew that was something I wanted to do. I realized that could be the outlet for my love of teaching and math. I was very excited to start graduate school once I was accepted, but there was an odd sinking feeling that accompanied it.
At least among the officer corps, staying in the Army always was the default expectation, and I felt, in a way, like a failure for leaving. You're expected to stay in, take command, pin major, etc., and leaving after five years felt like I wasn't doing my duty. This was especially true because I was going to grad school, and for math. Plenty of officers get out after five years and go to grad school to get an MBA and work in business, but I hadn't heard of anyone else going into math, and neither had any of the people I was working with.
I felt like I wasn't even transitioning properly. I didn't have a real job lined up, I didn't have any GI bill eligible service time, but I was going to school. As part of my transition I had to talk to the Army education center, and they had no idea how to help me. I didn't have the GI bill, but was getting funding for my degree so I didn't need financial assistance; it was a situation they clearly didn't have any experience with. It all led to the feeling that I was alone. No one had done this before; no one knew what kind of help I could get. I was on my own.
That feeling of isolation persisted through my transition and followed me throughout graduate school. It only recently subsided now that I've discovered other veterans in math. Despite that initial isolating feeling, I'm beyond happy that I have chosen this career. Learning, researching, and teaching mathematics brings me true joy in a way that the Army never did. I hope that my presence in the field can highlight what veterans are capable of and help dispel the stereotypes surrounding veterans.
At West Point it was always made clear that wherever you went and whatever you did, you were representing West Point and the Army. I feel that same sense of duty now to be a good representative of the veteran community inside a field which seems to have very little representation from the veteran community. I may be the only veteran a student ever has teaching them math, but I hope I won't be.
Dan Alvey served five years in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. He is now a graduate student at Wesleyan University expecting to complete his Ph.D. in mathematics in May 2021.
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