I've got the whole Kilimanjaro in my hands

Spencer Sitton, my multivariable calculus instructor from the summer term, told me the other day that he had some books he wanted to give me. He said that he looked at one and thought, “I bet Tyler would want this,” and he encouraged me to come by his office to pick them up soon.

So to his office I went this afternoon, and he handed me a stack of five different probability and actuarial books, almost all of which I have already referenced several times for one reason or another. There was no adequate way to express my thanks given his abundant generosity—because let me tell you, these books are not cheap—but I did thank him. He also offered his assistance in finding an actuarial internship through his connections in Phoenix should I need it in the future. Simply, for an aspiring actuary, Spencer is the friend to have. He has been nothing but generous to me.

And, of course, I asked Karen to pick me up from campus. Because no way was I going to haul that Kilimanjaro-size stack of books on a walk home.

Give and take at Utah State

Spencer, my calculus teacher, asked at the beginning of class yesterday that someone be willing to take notes for a classmate for the remaining week of school. The notes need to be well organized and thorough, which I think my notes usually are, so I offered my services via email yesterday evening.

This afternoon, Spencer replied to my email. He said that someone else is on it, but that I was one of three students he had in mind for note-taking. Then, he said this:

By the way, let me know if you want any information about studies in mathematics. I can tell you about graduate schools, careers in mathematics and things you can do now at USU (like hooking up with a professor and even starting to research as an undergrad) to prepare you for whichever career path you are thinking of taking.

Isn't that awesome? You just never know how a relationship with a professor will pan out. Spencer worked as an actuarial assistant for a few years, so I know he will be able to offer some great advice.