Presbyterian College mathematics professor sets an example for students to follow their passions
Dr. Kara Shavo has always had a love for mathematics, but her high school calculus teacher opened the door that led to her pursuing it as a career.
“There was just something about calculus that was sort of mysterious and magical to me,” she said. “It sounds a little over the top, but that’s really how I felt.”
When she entered college, she was initially an art major, though she quickly realized that she missed the structure that her math classes offered.
She briefly switched to engineering before once again realizing that she was more interested in the math aspect than anything else, and by the time her sophomore year rolled around, she had declared as a mathematics education major.
Discovering her passion
While teaching wasn’t always in the picture for Shavo, it was a career path she’d been open to since she was a little girl.
Many of her friends had always known they wanted to be teachers, but she didn’t discover her passion for education until she was in college.
“Once I decided to be a math major, I thought I would try teaching, because I had been helping some friends and doing a little bit of tutoring,” she said. “I really liked talking about math, so it seemed like a good fit.”
The road to PC
Shavo found herself at PC by happenstance.
While in graduate school working toward her Ph.D., she studied with Dr. Brian Beasley, a former professor at PC who was finishing up his own doctorate.
Beasley talked about PC often and encouraged Shavo to visit campus once she had finished with the program.
“He talked a lot about PC, and he said, ‘You know, when you’re done, you should come check it out. It’s a small college where teaching is the thing that’s valued most,’ which is what I was interested in,” she said. “Eventually I came, and I really loved it, and I guess the rest is history.”
Shavo’s experience at the college has now come full circle, as her own daughter, Maggie, currently attends PC and is thriving in the tight-knit atmosphere.
“It’s been great to see PC from that other viewpoint, which I’d never had before,” she said.
I’m working with a student on some honors research, and I’m really excited to be doing that again since it’s been a few years. I just love doing math research, too, so it’s really exciting to be able to do that with a student because it kind of combines both of my roles at PC.”
Dr. Kara Shavo, Professor of Mathematics
Hopes for the future
Recently, Shavo has been working with a student conducting honors research, something she’s thrilled to be able to dip her toes back into.
“I’m working with a student on some honors research, and I’m really excited to be doing that again since it’s been a few years,” she said. “I just love doing math research, too, so it’s really exciting to be able to do that with a student because it kind of combines both of my roles at PC.”
Shavo said she also hopes to build renewed interest in the mathematics program and inspire more students to major in math.
