US-based Guyanese Dr Jennifer Joseph nee Prince, who just celebrated her 65th birthday in style with family members and friends in Guyana, had never planned on becoming a Maths teacher or a Maths specialist, rather she saw herself in the field of linguistics.
“When I went to the then Lilian Dewar College of Education, where teachers for the secondary system were tutored during the late 70s/early 80s, I went to do Spanish and English. Ms Mavis Pollard, then principal pulled me aside and asked me why don’t I do Math. She said I was the only student at the college with a distinction in Math and there was a dire need for Math teachers. I never liked Math but somehow, I was always topping the class in Math. I decided to major in Math and English. That was modern Math which was a challenge to me, but I told myself, ‘I’m not a quitter. I’m going to do it until I get it right’,” Joseph recalled to Stabroek Weekend.