Zahresh Walji
Current degree: BSc Mathematics
Previous degree: BSc Microbiology
What made you choose a degree in mathematics?
When I was in the third year of my first degree, I came up with another degree, which was bio math and stats (it was just a combined major). I wanted to do that, but then I would have had to backtrack to first year because I hadn't taken any computer science classes and I didn't think that was worth it. Then I finished my first degree and now I'm doing a math degree.
Why did you choose to study your course at University of Victoria?
I have a previous degree in microbiology. I graduated in 2019 from that degree, and then I went to school part time not knowing what I wanted to do. I ended up actually doing a directed study right after the semester I graduated. I was working on bioinformatics and I kind of liked that. I always liked math and because of the saturation in my field, I didn't want to go into a micro lab. You needed at least a master's to get a good job in that field, so I didn't think that was worth it. So I'm like, ok, let's do math and computer science. I applied to UBC, but I didn't get accepted into the science program even though I had another degree. So then I was like, ok, I'll just go back to Victoria. I ended up doing math up here and I went to school part time during COVID because I didn't like online learning. I think the last two years I've been doing full time school.
What’s the community like at the department?
I was more involved in the first degree with school and the community. I was an orientation leader and an ambassador so I got the full university experience. Coming back, I didn't notice that with my math degree, because I was a transfer student. When I came here in my second year (I had been to two other colleges before that) it was kind of hard to find friends, although it was still easier than coming into my math degree. I did find a group of friends that I stuck with for my entire degree, but for this degree, because of COVID and because I was starting in the middle of my degree, it was hard making friends. But even so, the people here are so friendly and the math community has different events that they hold, which is really nice, like the arts and crafts thing that happens on Wednesdays.
What kind of mathematics did you like the best in school and at the university? or were you interested at all in mathematics in school?
I prefer applied math. I'm currently not really sure what type of math I like because there’s PDEs, there’s ODEs, and then there's of course stats, which is part of applied math. I do like ordinary differential equations, so I would say I gravitate towards that.
Tell us more about the research you are studying as part of your degree?
In the fall, I'm doing a master's at SFU with a co-supervisor at UBC. And that will be in mathematical biology, specifically evolution. The model will be looking at evolution in the guts of nematodes. You're able to get bacteria to evolve very fast, so if you put a stress on any being, you'll be able to see the change in the gut bacteria. We're making models to depict that change. That will be at SFU. At UBC, I'll probably be doing lab work; we’ll be working with the nematodes, introducing stress and checking whether the bacteria have changed over a period of time, and then seeing if that agrees with the mathematical model that we came up with.
Outside of mathematics, what are your favorite things to do, interests, pursuits?
Even though this is my part time job, I would consider it a hobby. I tutor and I've been tutoring for 10 years. It started out as a joke; I was camping with Girl Guides and one of the girls in camp was having trouble with math. And I'm like, "oh, I'm a tutor". Her mother came and approached my dad and she was like, “oh, can Zahresh tutor?” (this is when I was in grade 10). So I started tutoring her, she spread the word, and then I started getting into the tutoring community. There's a Facebook group, UBC tutors - I joined that. There's a tutoring group in Canada - I joined that. I'm kind of well known in the Ladner community, which is where I'm from.
Outside of that. I like art, like water colors, oil, and pastels, and I’ve done a bit of acrylics. I also like outdoor activities and I go camping with my friends every year, which is pretty fun. I try to do something different every year in terms of a hobby.