My name is Yi (Alan) Zhang and I’m a third-year UW student double majoring in applied and computational mathematical sciences and economics, and triple minoring in statistics, education, and neural computation and engineering! With genuine interdisciplinary interests in mathematics, engineering, education, and behavioral sciences, I want to be a leading mathematics and science educator who promotes individualized learning, effective assessment, and inspirational instruction in American classrooms. Given that the differences in K-12 mathematics and sciences curricula and schooling cultures between Canada and the United States are minimal, I have always been wondering why, overall, Canadian pupils consistently perform significantly better than their American peers on mathematics and science sections of international assessments, like the Program for International Student Assessment, and I wish to understand why when I return from Canada.
I grew up in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong – four huge modern cities in Southern China – before immigrating to the United States with my family and residing in Bellevue, WA, since 2012. I am incredibly honored to be a Corbett Scholar and be sponsored to study abroad at UBC the next academic year.
Besides completing theoretical coursework at the university, I also plan to volunteer as a teaching assistant at high-performing local public secondary schools to unearth their “secrets” to empowering their students in quantitative abilities. Hands-on educational experiences in China, the United States, and Canada will make me a more informed teacher in the foreseeable future, and I am grateful that the Corbett Scholarship will soon make this ideal come true!
The Corbett British Columbia-Washington International Exchange Program Fund provides an opportunity for undergraduate students at the University of Washington to spend two semesters at the University of British Columbia or University of Victoria; and for students from the University of British Columbia and University of Victoria to spend three quarters at the University of Washington.