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Bailey Thompson<\/strong> | News Editor<\/span><\/p>\n Of the 52 majors offered at Western, sophomore Josh Salsbury has chosen to be a math major. After finding success and being awarded Outstanding Freshman in Mathematics last year by the Math Department faculty, Salsbury currently works as a tutor in The Math Center and as the Finance Director for Western\u2019s Residence Hall Association \u2014 both positions that relate directly to his major.<\/span><\/p>\n When asked about his motivation in becoming a math major, Salsbury reflected back on experiences he had before coming to Western.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI had a really awesome calculus teacher when I was in high school,\u201d said Salsbury. \u201cIt was that combined with learning that the way math is taught in schools isn\u2019t a good reflection of what math actually is. Learning that there was a lot more to (math) really inspired me to learn more about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In learning about math, Salsbury shared that there is more to the process than many people initially think.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWith a math major, it\u2019s not just about being able to do math,\u201d Salsbury said. \u201cA lot of what it teaches you\u2026is doing things efficiently or finding the best way to do something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Mathematics page on Western\u2019s website, there are a number of career opportunities that are available to a math major. Amongst them, a few options listed include computer scientist, cryptographer, business operations specialist, elementary and secondary math teacher and financial analyst.<\/span><\/p>\n Salsbury is still deciding which pathway to pursue within mathematics.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was originally going to go for a career in software engineering because I\u2019m also getting a computer science minor\u2026but I\u2019ve been talking to a couple of professors and they think I\u2019d make a really good professor\u2026(and) it\u2019s something I\u2019ve been considering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Besides the future possibilities the major holds, Salsbury also values the Math Department for another reason: the people involved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Math Department is one of my favorite communities on campus,\u201d said Salsbury. \u201cAnd that\u2019s a combination of both the faculty and the students. It\u2019s a small enough department that it\u2019s really easy to make friends and get to know people.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Salsbury also praised the math faculty who help make the program what it is.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve met a group of professors so dedicated to getting to know their students and helping them succeed in life,\u201d said Salsbury.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether students are interested in math or not, however, Salsbury offered a piece of advice:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you look hard enough you will find your community. There are always more places to explore, people to get to know. And, in my experience, it\u2019s been really easy to make close friends. And the more you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to find those people that you really care about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n