“Allegheny is an institution that allows you to refine and shape your interests and who you are. I had a wide variety of interests, and that’s what Allegheny is all about.”
— Meaghan Volek
On clocks, on license plates, on chalkboards – no matter where the numbers may be, Meaghan Volek loves the challenges and complex patterns they bring. “Math has just always come naturally to me,” she says. “It’s rigorous work, but it teaches you a lot in the long run if you put in the time and dedication.”
Having a passion for numbers isn’t so uncommon, but Meaghan says that she knows just how to turn people’s heads: tell them she’s a Chinese minor. “My advisor encouraged me to give the class a try,” she says. “I automatically fell in love with the class and the language, and it’s become one of my favorite courses.” Meaghan has even managed to find a connection between her two fields: “The characters of the Chinese language can be manipulated just like numbers can,” she says.
When she’s not crunching numbers or brushing up on her Chinese, Meaghan serves as a Student Assistant Coach for the Women’s Basketball team. She is also a student leader of Allegheny Christian Outreach and the Fellowship Vice President of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity.
Following graduation, Meaghan plans to further her studies by attending graduate school for education. She hopes to eventually become a high school-level math teacher, instilling her love of numbers in future generations of students. “I’m open to new ideas and different things,” she says, “and even though I knew what I loved when I came to Allegheny, I didn’t know what to do with it. Allegheny is an institution that allows you to refine and shape your interests and who you are. I had a wide variety of interests, and that’s what Allegheny is all about.”