I shall always remember her gentleness, her love and enthusiasm for math, and her amazing academic ability. I taught her two advanced level high school math classes, and she was one of my Mu Alpha Theta officers, so I was blessed to know her well. It was 14 years ago, but I recall two things very clearly. She and another math-lover (Reese Brown) memorized hundreds of digits of pi, and they would have a face-off whenever possible to see who could recite the farthest. Other students watched with amazement – they never made a mistake! And, in both of my classes, she read books constantly while I was teaching. I learned quickly that it did not detract from her learning; she really could do several things well, simultaneously. As I taught, and she read, she would occasionally lift up her head and look at what I was doing. I knew that meant one of two things: either I had made a mistake, or I finally got to a topic that challenged her a little. Either way, I looked forward each day to seeing her take a break from her passion for reading to join me in our passion for math. Our senses of humor were in synch (and yes, a little math-nerdy) and I loved to see the sparkle in her eyes as we bantered. She just glowed with happiness. What a unique person she was, and what a joy it is for me to have shared in her short life. Rest in peace, sweet girl. Gail Nobles, Berkner High School
