AbstractAlgebra

06
May
2026
Aleksandra Brodowy

Aleksandra Brodowy

Born in Poland • Birth year 2000 • Studied Mathematics at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands • Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands • Lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands • Account Manager at the LEGO Group and currently doing a Master of Science in Mathematics from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

I have been drawn to mathematics throughout most of my education. It was always my favourite subject, I spent a lot of time studying it, and I even participated in various mathematical competitions during secondary school. Despite all of this, somehow I never had the courage to do it “for real”. Math is not an easy subject, so most of the opinions that I heard about it growing up were that it’s dull, hard, and “you anyways cannot do anything with it”, so why would I even bother pursuing it?

The first time I started seriously considering studying mathematics, I was in the first year of a completely different degree. I was in a new country, I had just started a part-time job at a store to be able to pay for university, and I did not particularly enjoy the study I was enrolled in. Then one day, while I was at work, I started a conversation with one of the customers who eventually started telling me about a degree in mathematics she was doing. I was so intrigued by the things she said that a few days later we ended up talking about ring theory over ramen. Her excitement about the subject and the topics she was explaining were so fascinating that I finally decided to give it a try, this time for real. Fast forward two years from that moment, I was in the second year of a mathematics bachelor’s degree doing the same course she told me about that day.

Ever since I started studying mathematics, I never looked back, and until now I have not been able to find another discipline that would be nearly as compelling.

Ever since I started studying mathematics, I never looked back, and until now I have not been able to find another discipline that would be nearly as compelling. For me, one of the best things about mathematics is the wide range of disciplines it touches – there is always another topic that can intrigue you.

At the beginning of my academic journey, I was primarily interested in the theoretical field of mathematics and spent a lot of time studying abstract algebra. I found it particularly appealing because it was something completely new and a type of math that I had never previously seen in school. At the same time, understanding group and ring theory was relatively difficult, and the fact that I could do it gave me a lot of satisfaction.

Later on, I started pursuing more applied subjects within mathematics and realised that the intersection of academia and real-life problems is something I would like to explore further. I switched gears and started focusing on data analysis and statistical modelling. I ventured into the world of profile hidden Markov models, which I ended up researching for my thesis.

If there is one thing I have learned while navigating the twists and turns of this discipline, it is that not limiting yourself to a single field allows you to discover unexpected connections and directions.

After graduating from the bachelor’s degree, I landed a data analysis internship working for the LEGO Group, where I could not only put the mathematical skills to practice but also explore the areas of business and optimisation. I had the opportunity to continue at the company in a commercial role, where I am currently still working as an Account Manager. The shift from academia to a commercial position took my mind off theoretical mathematics for the past three years. The role was a chance to work in a new environment, interact with completely different challenges, and develop a new set of skills. I realised that I quite like getting out of my comfort zone and having difficult business discussions with clients.

Nevertheless, from the beginning, I knew that the bachelor’s degree was not the end of my academic journey. Last September, after nearly three years away from university, I started a master’s degree in mathematics alongside my professional work. I am very privileged to be in a position where I get to interact with two groups of people who have completely different mindsets – one very academic and rigorous, the other very business and results-oriented. My work definitely deepened my mathematical interests. In my current role, I do a lot of sales forecasting, which, in my opinion, is a very natural bridge between mathematical modelling and uncertainty quantifications. And so my academic focus once again shifted, this time from statistical models to studies of uncertainty and risk analysis.

My math story is far from over—it is a continuous learning process. If there is one thing I have learned while navigating the twists and turns of this discipline, it is that not limiting yourself to a single field allows you to discover unexpected connections and directions.

Posted by HMS in Stories
22
Apr
2026
Tabitha Rajashekar

Tabitha Rajashekar

Born in Narsapur, Andhra Pradesh, India • Birth Year 1975 • MSc in Mathematics at Madras Christian College, Chennai, India • PhD in Mathematics from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, India • Lives in Bengaluru, India • Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Christ University, Bengaluru, India

I was born in June 1975 in Narsapur, Andhra Pradesh, India. I studied at Nirmala High School, a prestigious school in the quiet town of Machilipatnam. When I was around 10 years old, I had the privilege of learning from a brilliant teacher who taught mathematics at my school and would occasionally read a story during class. Mathematics did not excite me much, but I fell in love with reading, most specifically, literature. Since the teachers who taught me mathematics in high school were strict, I dreaded my math teachers more than the subject itself. Some of the teachers expressed great displeasure that I was not following the subject at all.  The fact of the matter was, I was unable to grasp the concepts. I had neglected the subject for a long time.

I realized that studying mathematics made me logical, precise and optimistic in life. The subject helped me gain the confidence and skills to achieve much more than I ever aspired to.

Though I made efforts, I could not follow the subject at all. With time, I became cold and distant with mathematics. Being a mathematics teacher herself, my mother insisted that studying mathematics was essential until a certain point in a student’s life. Heeding her advice, I pursued mathematics. Though I struggled initially, I did not give up and made persistent efforts to learn it.  When I noticed in the first class of my undergraduate studies that a peer of mine performed very well in the mathematics class, I approached her for help, seeking guidance on strategies for learning the subject rather than on what to learn. In a couple of days that I spent with her, I picked up the skills to teach myself the subject and figure things out. There was no looking back since then. Gradually, I began to feel that mathematics was very interesting and not difficult to score well in. But love for mathematics developed much later during my Master’s as I learnt courses like abstract algebra and number theory. 

Why teaching?

I still cannot decide what I love the most: Is it the subject of mathematics, or is it the joy of teaching it, or is it the excitement of learning mathematics?

As much as I felt intimidated by my teachers, I was in awe of them as well. So much so that I made up my mind to become a teacher very early in life. I wanted to teach, and wanted my students to feel differently from how I did as a student and see me as a very approachable teacher. I also realised that the best way to learn anything was to teach someone. At every stage, I would look for peers who were struggling and volunteer to teach them. I realized that studying mathematics made me logical, precise and optimistic in life. The subject helped me gain the confidence and skills to achieve much more than I ever aspired to. I started teaching right after my postgraduation. I took maternity breaks and quit jobs whenever my presence was needed at home. But even during those breaks, I upgraded myself in academics or taught individuals so that I stayed in touch with the subject. My kids have more memories of their mummy studying rather than playing with them. But that is what gave me joy in life and kept me going. I have close to three decades of teaching experience. With great conviction, I can admit that my career in teaching is all about learning mathematics every day and getting paid for learning. I still cannot decide what I love the most: Is it the subject of mathematics, or is it the joy of teaching it, or is it the excitement of learning mathematics?

Why Graph Theory?

Years later, when I contemplated doing a PhD, I realised that graph theory was the most suitable option for me. The nature of this course is that anyone can start learning this at any point.  It is simple to learn, easy to visualise and totally captivating in mind. Completing a PhD was not an easy journey. Despite the challenges and lags, I tried my best! It was a great learning experience and a humbling one. When I started teaching again after my PhD, I took every opportunity to teach graph theory and promote research in it. 

What do I love to do?

I find great joy in teaching foundational courses such as discrete mathematics, graph theory and algebra. These courses promote a lot of dialogue in the classrooms, and I constantly learn from their queries and responses. Research in graph theory gives me a lot of fulfillment. It gives me immense pride when any of our students choose a career in teaching mathematics or research, and my joy is doubled when it is a female student. My message for future mathematicians would be to pursue the subject diligently.  Without a doubt, I can say that teaching mathematics gives us a sense of purpose and a sense of great pride. 

Published on April 22, 2026

Photo Credit: Tabitha Rajashekar

Posted by HMS in Stories