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Maryam Mirzakhani- An Inspiring Woman

The Inspiring Story of Maryam Mirzakhani

\When I read the article about Maryam Mirzakhani, I was extremely saddened and can’t think more but her little girl would never have mommy around.  I wish her little girl will grow up as a wonderful woman who is perseverant and resilient, and who will carry on her mom’s legacy.

The sentence on Susan's blog has pinpointed the stereotypes of a typical scientist: a middle-aged white, possibly antisocial male in a blue shirt with a pocket protector.  Maryam Mirzakhani’s case has shown that brilliant mathematicians don’t fit into the stereotypes. 

What makes a great mathematician is not gender, age or anything else, but the person’s enthusiasm and love for mathematics. When we think about a person who is good at math, we often portray him as a quick thinker who can respond to math problems instantly.   However, Mirzakhani was once again not the stereotype. She described herself as a “slow” mathematician. She simply enjoyed the feeling of being lost in a jungle and trying to use all the knowledge to come up with some new tricks to find a way out (Mirzakhani).  

Relates to my personal experience, I don’t fit into the stereotypes as well (although I am not mathematician).  I studied mathematics at my late thirties. When my friends and relatives heard that I wanted to be a math teacher, they thought something wrong with me. They told me I was too old for math as I had passed the “golden age” for learning, and I was a woman who didn’t have much experience in mathematics. By that time, I wasn’t confident enough myself as well.  However, I feel fortunate that I didn’t let these doubts stop me and I followed my heart to pursue my dream as a math teacher.