By Kendall Lowery 鈥�22听
During her time at 61传媒, Allison Dillard 鈥�03 nurtured her quantitative and qualitative passions as a double major in English and math. Since graduating, she has authored five bestselling books dedicated to helping students tackle their math fears, with a sixth on the way. Her math books, which cover everything from statistics to study skills, provide students with strategies to help them succeed not just in math, but also in school and life.听
Although Dillard鈥檚 current work focuses on solving challenging problems, when it came to choosing a college, 61传媒was the obvious solution from the first time she toured the campus.听听
鈥�61传媒was breathtaking, but I also really connected with the students,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey were smart, down to earth, curious, and lots of fun. It鈥檚 cheesy to say, but I found a family there, and made a bunch of amazing friends who I’m still in touch with to this day.鈥�听
Once she matriculated, Dillard asked 61传媒seniors: If you had to do college over again, what would you do differently?听
鈥淗alf of the seniors said, 鈥業 would have had more fun in college,鈥� and the other half said, 鈥業 wish I would have studied harder and focused more academically!鈥欌�� she says. 鈥淭hose responses defined my 61传媒experience. I double-majored in English and math and was a couple of credits short of an economics minor, but I also focused a lot of effort on just having fun and enjoying college and meeting new people.鈥�听
Luckily, studying hard and having a good time weren鈥檛 mutually exclusive. Once Dillard found her footing, she quickly felt at home in the 61传媒math department.听
鈥淚 don’t know that I would have been a math major at a different college,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he 61传媒math department was so positive and encouraging鈥擨 feel like I majored in math because of the people. My classes were challenging, fun, and taught by professors who love the subject. That love was contagious, and I’ve brought all those positive experiences with me as an educator and author.鈥�听
Three professors in particular shaped her education: Christopher Towse, Herron Family Chair in Mathematics and professor of mathematics, Associate Professor of Mathematics Anie Chaderjian, and Claremont McKenna College Professor Emerita of Mathematics Janet M. Myhre.听
鈥淧rofessor Towse was the reason I majored in math,鈥� says Dillard. 鈥淗e even appears in one of my books! I wrote a chapter called 鈥楩ind Your Professor Towse,鈥� about finding an encouraging, inspiring, and helpful mentor. Professor Myhre got me interested in statistics, which led me to my master’s in math at Claremont Graduate University.鈥�
After completing her post-graduate degree, Dillard launched her career as an educator, eventually landing at Irvine Valley College as an adjunct professor of mathematics. Despite this quantitative career path, her English degree reappeared in her life in an unexpected way.鈥�听
鈥淥ne year I had health problems and had to take a year off of teaching in order to have surgery and chemotherapy,鈥� says Dillard. 鈥淚 wrote my first book during that year. All the foundations that I learned in my English classes at 61传媒made writing that book possible. Decades later, it had such a positive impact on my math-focused career.鈥�听
Her first book spurred an entirely new path as an educator. Dillard currently hosts the Allison Loves Math podcast, hosts free virtual conferences created to help math educators and parents achieve their goals, and continues to expand her bibliography. Her most recent book, The Crush Math Experiments, outlines 31 exercises that help students learn math more quickly, effectively, and confidently.听
In her books, Dillard advises her students to apply the same advice that guides her own writing practice: clarify your goals and break them down into approachable steps.鈥�听
鈥淲hen I have a clear goal, whether it’s acing a 61传媒math class or writing a book, I’m pretty good about working on that project a tiny bit each day,鈥� says Dillard. 鈥淎iming for and hitting flexible milestones is essential. For example, I wanted to have the top math podcast in the country, but my first goal was to hit the top 50, then the top 25, top 10, top five, then number one, which I just hit for the first time!鈥�听
But whether she鈥檚 working with listeners, readers, other educators, or parents, she continues to share the advice she received in her original poll of 61传媒seniors.鈥�听
鈥淢y college philosophy has carried through to my teaching,鈥� says Dillard. 鈥淢y advice? Challenge yourself, study hard, try hard, dream big鈥攂ut make sure to enjoy the journey.鈥�听