Posted on May 4, 2020 by College of Sciences
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Catherine Sporer
By Lauren Moriarty
Math has always been special to Catherine Sporer. Her mother was a middle school math teacher and her father is an engineer, so equations were normal dinner conversations. "We would have these evening chats," she remembers. "My father would sit us down with a whiteboard and go through physics, science and math concepts. That type of learning made math more interesting and exciting." After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Master of Education at Trinity, Catherine taught public school in San Antonio for three years. She loved teaching but realized she missed learning. "I really love math and love learning math," she explains. "After a break of learning math, I felt some of my skills were starting to slip a little bit. If I wanted to go back to school and study math again, it felt like that was the right time to go back to learning."
Catherine is a recent graduate of UTSA's Mathematics M.S. program. "I think that when you work through a really good proof in mathematics, it really does seem poetic," she says. "I appreciate the cleverness and the almost artistic construction of really well-made mathematical arguments." Catherine's ultimate goal is to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education and work in education research and teacher training related to fostering problem solving attitudes and mathematical mindsets in students. "The best math students that I've worked with aren't necessarily the ones that get everything right on the test," she says. "A good math student needs to be curious and also willing to struggle and be confused for a little bit in order to reach a higher level of understanding."
Outside of the classroom, Catherine enjoys spending time with her one-year-old daughter and designing geometric jewelry. "I don't see math and art as two separate things," Catherine says. "They are very intertwined for me. In school I was always in art classes. I took AP Calculus alongside AP Art." A metalsmithing class in college started Catherine's journey as an artist and owner of Geometry Gems . "Since I think math and art are connected, I decided to theme my business around both," Catherine explains. "I see Geometry Gems as a way to spread math in a joyful way."
— College of Sciences
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