By Mike Bossy

I loved math in school, but I was always looking for short cuts. What was the fastest way to find the answer? I was always being docked marks because I missed steps. “Did my short cut work?” I’d ask in frustration.

Early on, I was labelled as good at math (which by the way, could get you beaten up!). That was a real-life experience as well. Being labelled as good at math affected the trajectory of my career counselling. “You’re an accountant!”

It wasn’t until I was in second year at Western that I realized the real-world impact math could have. I was enrolled in a course called The Mathematics of Economics. In this class, finding short cuts didn’t’ get me in trouble. In fact, quite the opposite. I came to understand that people would actually pay me if I could find shortcuts for them. I could create value with math and put that “good at math” label to good use.