Raquel López (E05) and Daniela Beckelhymer (E20) are both named Lathisms calendar honorees. Congratulations!
“To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is both a celebration and a responsibility. It is an opportunity to honor those who opened doors before me while helping open new ones for those who come next. I was once the student who needed someone to believe in her. Today, I strive to be that person for others. I hope that young people, especially Hispanic students, see in me not just a mathematics professor, but someone who struggled, persevered, and found her place in mathematics. If my story helps even one student realize they don’t have to fit a stereotype to belong in mathematics, then sharing it is worthwhile. Representation matters because it reminds us that there is no single path—and no single look—to becoming a mathematician. Our different stories, perspectives, and experiences make our mathematical community stronger.” – Raquel. Read more here.
“For me personally, it is a time when I feel invited to be unapologetically Mexican, especially in professional and academic spaces where I have sometimes felt pressure to make myself smaller, quieter, or easier to understand. During this month, I feel freer to wear colorful clothing, listen to my music a little louder, sing along without embarrassment, speak more Spanish, stop hiding traces of my accent, and share pieces of Mexican history and culture with the people around me.
It is also a time when I call my family more, invite people over, cook, share drinks, tell stories, and remember the sacrifices that made my path possible. For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebration, gratitude, responsibility, and pride.” – Daniela. Read more here.
Lathisms was founded in 2016 in order to showcase the contributions of Latinx and Hispanic mathematicians during Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated in the United States from September 15 and October 15 every year.
