CCC student Niousha Toroghi gets the nod for the American Mathemtatical Association for Two-Year Colleges Wanda Garner Presidential Student Scholarship. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — To her, math is the language of the universe and helps her to be a better person.
So, it’s only fitting that Coconino Community College student Niousha Toroghi would be offered the prestigious American Mathematical Association for Two-Year Colleges Wanda Garner Presidential Student Scholarship.
“This scholarship is a blessing for me,” Niousha said. “It means I have achieved my goals so far. I have higher goals to achieve, and I look forward to striving for them.”
Niousha has been one of the most outstanding students CCC Mathematics faculty Maya Lanzetta has had in her career, and it was why she and other CCC Math faculty joined her in nominating Niousha for the scholarship.
“She has an innate ability to reason through problems and understand the bigger picture of the concepts we are studying,” Lanzetta said. “I learned a year after I first had Niousha in Precalculus that she had only been in the United States for seven days when class started.”
Niousha went on to take Calculus II and III courses with Lanzetta and freely shared her knowledge with her peers to help them understand the difficult mathematical concepts.
Niousha said, “I have always loved mathematics. The feeling after struggling with problems and getting the correct answer is definitely a joyful moment. Also, math makes me a better problem solver in everyday life problems. It helps me to understand the world better.”
Niousha’s plan is to finish her associate degree in Science at CCC, then transfer to Arizona State University to get a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. She added that after she finishes her master’s studies, she wants to start teaching at a college or university while she prepares to get a Ph.D.
Lanzetta said, “Niousha’s dedication to problem solving, hard work and perseverance is exemplary.”
As for the scholarship, Niousha said, “It is an honor to be chosen for this scholarship. I am truly grateful for the support. This scholarship allows me to work fewer hours and focus on my studies and additional educational opportunities.”
She’s thoroughly enjoyed her experiences at CCC.
“I think what I enjoy most about college is learning,” Niousha said. “I have acquired a vast amount of knowledge in the classrooms.”
And it was all because of the faculty members like Lanzetta and others who made the journey possible.
For more information about Math, Engineering and Sciences at CCC, visit https://www.coconino.edu/paths/engineering-math-sciences.