Professionals Learned the Value of Math and Science: Some Switched Careers, Others Plugged Away at Algebra

Math and science matter. That message came through to a young man struggling to go to college in East Los Angeles. And to a Mexican emigrant, resettled in Anchorage, trying to make sense of algebra. And finally to a fashion buff, who decided after a decade in retail that she would rather devote her life to helping pets.

All three of these professionals--a firefighter, an architect and a vet--discovered that to pursue their dreams, they first had to tackle tough courses in math and science, preferably in high school.

“I was spending money on taking calculus and trigonometry in college,” remembered architect Leticia Lucero. “These are courses I should have gotten in high school when they were free.”

Lucero, firefighter Mike Aguilar and veterinarian Cynthia Knapp, credit their success to perseverance and learning as much math and science as they could. All three say it was a counselor, teacher or tutor that really helped them make it past the tough classes and on to their dreams.

Later this month, on television and on the College Work Ready Agenda Web site, you’ll see these three, plus dozens more, in a series of public service announcements produced by Partnership for Learning and Microsoft.