As both a pure object of study and a tool for solving real-world problems, math has always fascinated me. For as long as I can remember, I have loved the theoretical aspect of mathematics; I enjoy tackling abstract problems or musing over logic puzzles during math competitions. Over the last two years of high school, though, my passion for advocacy and social justice has drawn me increasingly to the practical applications of math. Through an internship in criminal justice reform, I have discovered the power of statistics in building compelling arguments and moving the needle on public policy issues. I hope that my studies of math at Dartmouth will ultimately allow me to advance social justice.

I am from Maryland but have also lived in Argentina, Indonesia, and Australia. Outside of math, I enjoy debate, playing soccer, painting watercolors, studying French language and literature, and traveling! I am honored to have been chosen as a Byrne Scholar!

Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed problem solving which led me to love the subject of math. I have always been attracted by the beauty and purity of mathematics as seen by theorems such as Euler’s identity which I wrote my IB Math HL IA on. In high school, I was accepted into the math honor society and was elected to be the treasurer my senior year. At Dartmouth, I am planning to explore the many practical applications of math in order to determine a major and career path.

Outside of academics, I am from Bedford, New Hampshire and recently graduated from Bedford High School. I was the captain of the varsity rowing team my senior year and will be a member of the Men’s Heavyweight Rowing Team at Dartmouth. In my free time, I enjoy skiing, biking, and playing basketball.

Ever since I can remember I've felt a calling to math. From learning long division to solving differential equations, there has always been a piece of satisfaction I gain from being able to independently reason and arrive at the correct answer. For me, math becomes even more interesting when you apply its axioms to the real world. Truly understanding math makes physics, chemistry, and all other science so much more powerful and incredible. These fields are all just expressions of math to different levels of the universe. I am passionate about this idea that math is the electrical current of all physical understanding of the universe.

Other than math, I invest most of my free time into powerlifting, chess, and hanging out with friends. Even though it may not seem so, both powerlifting and chess are very empirical and number-oriented. From tracking linear progression in powerlifting to preparing for a chess game using calculated and strategic opening systems, I enjoy placing myself in activities which are logical and require a grind. I'm excited to both meet and learn from the Dartmouth community. At Dartmouth, I hope to expand and utilize my passion to study Mathematics and Computer Science. Currently Machine Learning interests me, and will most likely be related to the major I lock in sophomore year. I'm very excited to be studying at Dartmouth, and even more so to be part of the Jack Byrne Scholars Program.

Over the past few years, my outlook on math has evolved quite a bit. I’ve come to view math not as the rigorous and mechanical subject I once thought it was but rather as a gateway to tackling real world problems. For example, it was a fascinating and eye-opening open experience to wrangle COVID-19 data and use math to shed light on the virus’ disproportionate impact among lower-income demographics. I was also lucky enough to perform computational research on schizophrenia risk genes, using mathematical pipelines to process genetic data and help the scientific community better treat schizophrenia. These experiences have shown me just how powerful math is as a means of quantifying challenging issues.

Aside from math, much of my free time has gone into art, especially painting and sketching tennis players, scenery, and even my kitten. I’m also an avid tennis player and music-lover. At Dartmouth, I’m looking to major in computer science while exploring math and data science, particularly their applications in areas like public policy, economics and computational biology. I’m also eager to play tennis, engage in club settings, and build lifelong connections along the way.

Hello! My name is Henry Moore, and I live in Portland, Maine. As captain of my school’s math team, I’ve really enjoyed the art of problem-solving and pushing myself to work faster. My favorite area so far has been number theory; I never fail to be blown away every time I’m taught new patterns and tricks. Before covid, I volunteered to assist teachers with fifth grade “math lunches” at my school, where we would help students with various mathematical puzzles. Outside of school, I’m currently reading “Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity” by David Foster Wallace, and I’m a long-time fan of 3BlueOneBrown, a math YouTube channel. Besides math, I love to play ultimate frisbee and lift weights.

Hello! My name is Ari Nathanson, and I am from Highland Park, IL. I am honored to have been chosen as a Byrne Scholar. Math has always been my favorite subject, the language in which I am most fluent. I greatly enjoy the rush of solving a challenging problem and the satisfaction of writing an elegant proof. Recently, however, I have gained more of an appreciation for how math can be used to further other disciplines. I am fascinated by its potential to do everything from rectify wealth inequality to revolutionize professional sports front offices. My role as Coordinator of my high school Math Team also showed me that math can be fun and collaborative. I look forward to continuing my studies at Dartmouth and taking advantage of all that the Byrne Scholars Program has to offer.

I am very grateful to have been picked as one of the Byrne Scholars, and I will live up to whatever expectations set for me.

I am a person of Ghanaian descent. Born in the South Bronx, New York, I was flown to Ghana at the age of 8 months to live with my Grandma who raised me; therefore, the Ghanaian culture is in my roots. I grew up in Kwashieman where despite its city-like characteristics, the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” was not taken lightly. But home was where I was disciplined the most. Home was “Boni ɛn-ni Fie”, which translates to “Home without sinners (troublemakers)”. My grandparents prided themselves on kindness and humility. I looked up to them because of the respect they received from everyone who lived in Kwashieman. With that being said I was perceptive of any words of wisdom they threw my way. My grandma especially enlightened me on the importance of love, humility, forgiveness, and the bible being that we lived in a Christian household. Subsequently, I have always strived to live my life by these terms because it’s always been a dream of mine to be the man my grandma always professes about.

I moved to America on September 20th 2013. I was 9 years old at the time and after leaving the airport, was introduced to what my mom saw as two of the most important places I will spend my childhood. The first one being our home in the South Bronx, and the second one being school. Yes, on my first day in America I was sent to school! At this point I knew education was going to be the most important element of this household. Unlike my grandma, my mom is hard to impress and raised me with tough love. I've always appreciated this way of nurture from my mom because it only made me want to try harder to impress her. After a while, working hard became a habit because I was beginning to see how hard work always led to or at least brought me close to success. In addition, I also grew a great love for basketball, and I was able to become a 4-year captain of my high school basketball team, The Comp Sci High Pythons. Unfortunately, I did not receive this role because I was the best player on the court. On the bright side, I received this honor because my coach and my teammates saw me as a leader. I was honored to see that I had people my age and an adult I took so much inspiration from, who saw me as a leader. As a leader on this team I learned that a leader motivates their team and inspires them to get better. However, the most important principle I learned was that for a team to be successful it is important that the leader does not feel the need to do everything because there will come a point where the leader is not fit to do a particular task while someone else on the team is perfect for that task.

I realize that all places I call home have injected a particular characteristic in me. “Boni ɛn-ni Fie” instilled in me love, humility, and respect. My home in the South Bronx instilled in me hard work and discipline. Lastly, my home on the Comp Sci High Pythons basketball team helped me hone my leadership characteristic. This only leads me to wonder: What will Dartmouth college and the Byrne Scholarship hone or instill in me next?

For me, math is a way of seeing patterns in the world around you. It allows most things to be predicted by simply observing some past actions. Whether it be for idealistic goals, like developing medicine, or for more practical life plans, like budgeting, math is everywhere. I personally use it a ton when it comes to dominating my fantasy football leagues, constantly studying players’ stats in order to find the optimal matchups each and every week. I look forward to expanding my knowledge and application of math during my time at Dartmouth.

When I'm not absolutely geeking out over adding math to sports, I like to spend my time playing my violin, playing tennis, or playing video games.

For me, that “a-ha” moment of solving a math problem is a lot like that pure satisfaction of hitting the right musical note or landing a skateboard trick perfectly — it’s a moment of purity and emptiness. My interest in math sparked in high school and I don’t see it faltering any time soon. I’m fascinated by topics from computational linguistics to mathematical physics, and I look forward to exploring them deeper here at Dartmouth.

I have always seen math as a beautiful and fascinating language that is spoken across seemingly endless academic disciplines. My love for math stems from mathematics being the foundation for so many other sciences. I am truly fascinated by this essentiality of math across academia. Once I realized all of the various applications of mathematics, in computer systems, engineering, finance, and more, I was hooked. Currently, I am planning to major in mathematics and minor in computer science and economics, and I am interested in the role of math within the financial industry.

Apart from my interest in math, I am from Fairfield County, Connecticut, and love to spend my time skiing, investing and learning about financial markets, playing for Dartmouth’s club lacrosse team, and playing with my two collies, Oxford and Cambridge.

I enjoy math because it’s so logical — like a puzzle that is fun once you learn the rules. But I really appreciate how math is a tool for solving scientific problems. During my internship at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, I used applied math principles every day when running and analyzing brain function data models. And through Science Olympiad, a club with which I spent much of my time in high school, math principles were invaluable in interpreting data, decrypting complex codes and engineering structures built to be as efficient as possible. I also truly enjoyed tutoring kids in math, both through my high school’s math and science honor societies and through my work at Kumon, and seeing their thrill of accomplishment when they finally understood a concept with which they originally struggled.

I plan to continue to study math, computer science, physics, biology, and chemistry at Dartmouth, and I ultimately hope to go to medical school. Outside of school, I love skiing, hiking, golf and art, so I’m looking forward to four years in Hanover. Thank you to the Byrne family!

I love how math will appear in places you least suspect — everything from the way a piano is tuned to the laws that govern reality can be modeled in equations. This fascination continues to hold fast at Dartmouth, where I am starting delve into the world between computer science and mathematical algorithms.

When I’m not nerding-out over math, I love playing cello and pickup basketball.

I didn’t start liking math until my sophomore year in high school. Before then, the math classes I was in were too easy and I found math boring. But, in my sophomore year math class, I was finally challenged and saw how fun puzzles with numbers can be. Since then, I’ve begun to really enjoy the feeling of being stumped. For me, the reason I love math is mostly because of the problem-solving process, and the satisfaction of actually solving a problem is an added bonus.

I think all branches of math are interesting, but I find applied math and specifically math applications in physics most exciting. The way math is used to describe how the fundamental parts of our world behaves is the most fascinating thing to me, and in the future, I see myself studying physics and mathematics to further understand the behavior of basic particles.

My name is Ahrav Jain, and I am in the Class of 2025. As part of being a Byrne scholar, I love math! I wish there was an elaborate backstory to my interest in arithmetic, but, unfortunately, there's not. I've always just simply enjoyed being in the company of numbers. A sharpened pencil, a primed calculator, and a new problem are exciting. Beyond math, I enjoy practicing tennis, playing ping pong, and cycling.

Growing up I enjoyed both math and the social sciences, and I would love to combine these two fields at Dartmouth. Math concepts are always more exciting for me when I can apply them to real-world problems. My hope is to use techniques like data visualization and econometrics to improve policy interventions on the federal level. Thank you to the Byrne family for this generous gift!

Math has always been my favorite academic interest. I know that isn’t the case for some, but grasping early mathematical concepts is critical, so I spend time teaching younger students in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. In recent years, I have enjoyed using math as a creative outlet via programming. Math continues to impress me because it applies to nearly every subject, including computer-generated art. At Dartmouth, I hope to continue exploring new ways to utilize math through applied math courses and research.

Hi, I am Andrew Xu from Montville, New Jersey, planning to study economics at Dartmouth as well as a potential minor in mathematics and/or computer science. On campus, I am a part of the club tennis team as well as the Jack Byrne Scholars program. I also serve on the West House executive board as treasurer. Outside of homework and classes, I enjoy going on DOC trips and hanging out with friends. I enjoy watching tv shows, sports, and playing video games. I also love physical activity like playing frisbee, spikeball, and football. You will probably find me at Foco or the library because those are my two most favorite places on campus.

I’ve been the math kid since I was ten, when solving a tough problem sent me running across the street to celebrate with my confused neighbor. I stayed for the elegant simplicity, like with number theory: are there infinitely many prime numbers? Yes. Why?

At Dartmouth, I intend to study computer science and applied math — particularly, complex systems and mathematical modeling in the social sciences. For fun, I read and write fiction, hike, sing, and needle friends and family with puns. I’m thrilled by this opportunity to learn from my brilliant peers and mentors as a Byrne Scholar.

I’ve always been one of the “math kids,” but I only started to really appreciate math when I was about half way through high school. I believe that solving many of the world’s problems will involve large developments in every field, especially mathematics. I wish to be a part of the mathematical discovery necessary to save our Earth.

When I’m not writing deep and meaningful autobiographies for a math website, I like to play trumpet, solve sudokus, and read fantasy novels.

My interest in mathematics began very recently in my sophomore year of high school, when I first learned about the careful logical reasoning and puzzle-solving aspects that go into writing mathematical proofs. Ever since, I’ve enjoyed pursuing my interest by taking further courses in mathematics from my local community college and participating in mathematical research in graph theory. I am particularly drawn by the fact that mathematics seems to be fundamental to our understanding of the sciences, especially in physics and computer science; so, I am looking forward to continue to expand my mathematical toolkit while also exploring my interests in related fields of study through Dartmouth's liberal arts curriculum.

In my spare time, I also enjoy jogging, reading about tropical meteorology, and solving Sudoku puzzles. I am incredibly excited to study math at Dartmouth and can't wait to take part in all of the amazing opportunities through this program!

Coming to the United States at a young age with no knowledge of the English language, the logic of numbers became a haven for me. As I got older I spent time figuring out multiple methods that would derive the same answer to textbook answers and figuring out the proof behind mathematical concepts. Recently, I’ve been interested in the implicit bias that goes on in the justice system, and I hope to combine social sciences with mathematics to combat inequalities like these. I hope to be able to do research alongside professors that will provide me with the skills I need to work on providing real-world solutions to complex challenges. I’m thankful for the opportunities Byrne Scholars will provide me with in the future, and for the mentors I will meet along the way!

My initial appreciation for mathematics as a child came from its supposed simplicity. I relied on the idea that repeating the same steps again and again would bring me to the correct answer. At the same time, I was subconsciously attracted to numbers and fascinated with shapes and patterns in the world around me; it was this that lay the foundation for my growing relationship with math. Inside the classroom, I have learned to embrace that math can be challenging, and I use this as motivation to explore the many ways in which math can be manipulated or interpreted while approaching a problem. I have also become increasingly aware of how math intertwines with my interests outside the classroom. As a sailor, I am constantly thinking about vectors in relation to the wind, current, and the course. I am so excited to continue to broaden my exposure to and understanding of mathematics and its applications at Dartmouth, both through my study of mathematics and as a member of the varsity sailing team. I am grateful to the Byrne Scholars Program for providing me with the opportunity to become involved with math at a deeper level, and I hope to leave Dartmouth prepared to take on the world knowing mathematics is a tool I will always have in my back pocket.

I have always enjoyed math. When I was younger, I relished in how there was always a right and wrong answer to questions, but as I grew up, I enjoyed seeing how so much of our lives rest on mathematical concepts. At Dartmouth, I am excited to explore Mathematical Data Science at Dartmouth, as my specific interest in math at the moment relates to the opioid crisis. Data scientists may be able to track areas riddled with overprescription and thus combat the crisis from the supply side.

My other hobbies include club basketball, playing the saxophone, and hiking with my dog and friends.

Growing up, I was always the kid that was known for being “good at math.” It wasn’t until I got to high school when I realized the extent to which I love the area of study. The dexterity of mathematics is one of its most appealing features to me. It can be used simply to determine the cost of groceries or more drastically be used to determine the radius of the sun. I hope to use some aspect of mathematics to give back to inner-city, impoverished communities back home in Boston.

My love for math and logic began when I was a little girl. In primary school, I loved solving problems and analyzing patterns in sudokus, puzzles, and cryptograms. During my last two high school years, I embarked on a culminating research project in mathematics. I didn’t know what calculus was, so I created an algorithm to calculate area using radial sector summation (rather than the classic Riemann summation) to improve estimations of partial areas beneath the sine curve. The experience cemented my desire to pursue math in higher education, and I’m so excited for what Dartmouth Math has to offer. Along with being a prospective (pure) math major, I hope to fit in a mathematical physics minor and remain on the pre-med track. Outside of the classroom, I compete on the Dartmouth equestrian team, teach yoga, and paint!

I used to despise math, even though I was “good” at it. I only realized how much I enjoyed it after taking some time to study the theory behind what I was doing. Since then, I’ve been involved in mathematical research through events such as the Illinois and Intel Science Fairs.

My interest is in connecting theoretical concepts to the real world, particularly in finding order among the seemingly random. For example, in high school, I began exploring applications of knot theory in modeling the price/volume ratios of certain stocks. I hope to continue my research in both math and finance through the Mathematical Data Science program, as well as explore new fields, such as Game Theory.

I also like writing, hockey, and baseball. I’m so excited to explore math and my other interests while here at Dartmouth!

I have loved math from a very young age. For me, numbers were the way I bypassed the language barrier that I faced coming from a Russian-speaking household. As I grew older and further explored the field of Mathematics, I found a passion and appreciation for the simplicity that numbers provide. At Dartmouth, I hope to major in Applied Mathematics with perhaps a minor or second major in Economics. I hope to pursue a career in a field related to finance or economics, but I am not yet quite sure exactly where I want to end up. Despite pursuing applied math, I also have a deep fascination with and a draw towards pure mathematics. I particularly enjoy the nuances of Number Theory, Combinatorial Geometry, Graph Theory, and Topology. As a Byrne scholar, I would like to pursue research in both applied and pure mathematics, perhaps somewhere abroad, as I love to experience new cultures and learn new languages. I am excited to wrestle with challenging problems, discover and explore new areas of mathematics, and grow as both a scholar and a person. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity the Jack Byrne scholarship has provided me with!

Math has always helped me understand the world around me. I see equations in road signs on long car drives, calculus in the petals of a rose when I draw, and mathematic patterns in the nature that surrounds me. I discovered in my senior year that the most intriguing use of mathematics thus far has been when math intersects other disciplines. Outside of my math classes, I saw how math can help find patterns in human behavior in my economics class, or how its connection with science aided the exploration of space in my physics class. It was this intersection of mathematics with other areas of studies that drove me to seek a mathematics major within a liberal arts institution, where I could continue to learn the theory of advanced math but more importantly, focus on applying the logic and patterns of math to solve real-world problems. I can’t wait to see how Dartmouth will help me pursue my passion, and I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing program that strives to solve the world’s problems through math.

For me, math has always been about discovery. When I was younger, the goal was solving puzzles. You were given tools and you had to find interesting ways to put them together in order to reach your goal, and the more tricks and techniques you learned the more puzzles you were able to solve. As I’ve advanced, the types of puzzles I’m interested in has also changed. Math is the basis that life is built on. Through math you can model so many aspects of the world: physical, biological, economic, political, social, and more. I find that fascinating. The more you know about math the more you are able to find and understand. To me math is beautiful not just because of the questions, or puzzles, you can tackle but also because it teaches you how to think. I think that’s a skill that doesn’t just benefit you in math, but in all parts of your life.

Heading into Dartmouth I’m excited to study more advanced topics, but also explore more of the sciences and how they both intertwine. I’m so excited and grateful for all the opportunities that the Jack Byrne scholarship provides for growth and discovery.