by Amanda Stout

The following is the first of an occasional article that details the lives of recently graduated math students. I asked them questions like where do you live? Are you in school, and if so , what is it like? Do you have a significant other or kids? Here are the highlights of two former mathematics students.
Dave Reynolds wrote to me from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. He graduated from the Uof O in 2001 and is currently taking 502 Functional Analysis, 504 Measure and Integration, and 507 Theory of Numbers. He is also getting ready to begin his Masters Project, which he expects to focus on combinatorial identities, graph theory, or number theory.
Dave wrote a very nice reply to my inquiry, and although a little long, I think it is worth the time and space:
"The math intramural basketball team here at WSU just won their first game ever! We have a season record of 1-0 this year and we improved our combined record for three years to 1-8!
I am attending Washington State University in Pullman, WA. The only place I've ever been where everything is uphill. I am in the process of lobbying the city council to change Pullman's name during the winter months from Pullman to "Let's go ice-climbing".
Last year I led a Q&A session for the Calculus I course as well as a Maple-based computer lab. Last semester I taught Intermediate Algebra. Now I just grade papers. I think my assignment this summer may be to clean out gutters and break up dirt-clods around the place. We'll have to wait and see.
The transition to a different math department has been fine. WSU welcomed me as soon as I came here and I have always been an independent person. If there is one thing for certain it is that there is no other place like Hilbert Space! WSU has nothing like it at all. Those of us who had the opportunity to hang out in Hilbert Space were truly fortunate. I do have a girlfriend now. Her name is Jessica and she is from Port Angeles, WA. She's a sweetie.

Since you asked I will offer a little advice:
1. Go to Grad School! Looking back, I could not imagine ending my training at the Bachelor's degree. It's a lot of fun to meet new people and to be in a new department and I'm learning so much. It all boils down to Professor Gilkey for me. There was a point when I didn't think I was smart enough (I really didn't guys) to go on to "the next level" and I told him that. He told me that I was too smart not to! That simple little comment made an enormous change in my life.
2. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger guys. Ask Kantor on this one. His 500-level algebra class forced me to really swallow my pride. He really motivated us to work hard. I worked about as hard as I could and earned a C+. I gained a certain respect for hard work and staying on top. I am a better student having learned from him.
3. If you don't want to continue school, that's cool too. Follow your heart and give it all you've got. Nothing in life worth having is obtained by being an under-achiever. Henry Ford is quoted as saying, "whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." Well, he WAS right!
U of O is such a great school with such great people. I miss all of you. Go Ducks! Props to Hilbert Space! Keep it Real guys."
Sincerely,
Dave "Not Hugh" Reynolds