Math Adolescence Education majors are a small but mighty population here at Marist, and freshman Shannon Gilhuly couldn’t be happier to be part of that group of students. The 18-year-old, originally from a small town in Connecticut, has always excelled in math class, but it wasn’t until she arrived at Marist that she considered making her passion for mathematics part of the larger picture of her life.
Photography by Sebastian Photography
“I started off college as a business major because I wanted to help people and I wanted to maybe do some non-profit work, but I just didn’t feel happy in my classes,” she reveals. Gilhuly, however, quickly realized that she could use her natural inclination for numbers to help educate young people, and switched her major. As for the person who inspired Gilhuly to become a teacher, she cites her seventh grade math teacher.
“I was always good at math, but in seventh grade, I had this really awesome teacher, Mrs. Schroder. She was phenomenal. She changed my life because she made math make sense and when we were learning about dividing fractions, just to make us remember to flip the second fraction, she did a handstand in class.”
Furthermore, Gilhuly herself already is a teacher, in a way. A third-year member of 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, Gilhuly spends her summers touring the United States as part of the color guard. When she isn’t performing, during the school year, Gilhuly teaches marching band students back home how to “spin” and more.
Photography by Zach Rubin
“They’re such amazing kids,” she says of her color guard students. “I just love the feeling when they get a move or do something good…that’s one of the best feelings ever. They’re so proud of themselves. And I helped them get to that point…and that’s amazing.” This hands-on teaching experience doubled with the inspiration from her middle school math teacher, and Gilhuly was sure she wanted to become an educator herself. “I just thought teaching would be a good profession. I was thinking about it, and I really love math, too. It’s a great subject because it teaches you such amazing things that people don’t realize…like problem-solving skills. You learn things in math that you can apply in real life.”
In her limited spare time, she is most likely to be found laughing over memes, practicing dance moves, as she is involved with the Marist College Dance Ensemble, or doing something with her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.
“I like being part of something bigger than myself. Like with Kappa and Drum Corps, every move I make reflects on the organization itself. Even with Drum Corps, being on the field, I have to do my part because if I don’t do my part, then how can I expect the person next to me to do theirs?”