Gifted math graduate has long dreamed of teaching

Nick Rollick has an amazing aptitude for mathematics and at convocation this week, he’ll receive his Bachelor of Science in pure mathematics along with five academic achievement medals. But for the gifted student, this milestone represents just a small step towards achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a university professor.

“Math has always been fun to me,” Rollick says. “What really gets me fired up about the discipline is the certainty you get from each answer. It’s all very structured and logical, and the conclusions are absolutely certain. I love that level of precision.”

Rollick’s love affair with math goes back to his elementary school days. 

“In Grade 5, I did a multiple intelligence test and that’s when my ability for math became evident,” recalls the Calgary native, who attended Forest Lawn High School. 

It’s a good thing Rollick followed his instinct because he’ll be graduating with a robust university math education and transcript highlighted by 39 A+ grades and a 4.0 GPA.

“I also have a single A that snuck in there when I took a political science class in my first year,” laughs the student who enjoyed unwinding from intense school work by playing the clarinet for local bands and reading classical fiction books by Dostoevsky and Dickens. 

An armload of awards

For achieving the highest distinction in scholarship, Rollick will be acknowledged at convocation and will receive the Faculty of Science’s Gold Medal, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ Silver Medallion, the Muriel Kovitz Prize, the Governor General's Silver Medallion, and the Lieutenant Governor's Gold Medal at convocation. 

“I was happily surprised to hear about these amazing recognitions,” he says “Although I’m very proud about this outcome, I feel as though throughout my undergraduate career, I just focused on doing my best, being dedicated, effectively managing my time and having fun learning.” 

For Rollick’s professors, the recognition is a reflection of Rollick’s exemplary qualities as a student and also indicators of the type of professor he may become. 

A most talented, diligent and meticulous undergraduate

“Nick is the most talented undergraduate student with whom I’ve ever been associated,” says Michael Jacobson, an associate professor who supervised Rollick as part of an NSERC research project. “In addition to his obvious intellectual ability, he is very diligent and meticulous in his work — his assignments in my course were, without exception, immaculate.” 

Professor Renate Scheidler, who co-led the research work, adds that these qualities will be invaluable to Rollick’s teaching career. “Nick will be a great professor,” she says. “He is an outstanding expositor, who will be able to communicate with students effectively. He will also be an excellent role model in terms of demonstrating good work ethic and standards.” 

As Rollick looks ahead, the hard work is yet to come. This fall, he’s leaving the comfort of his Calgary home for the first time to enrol at the University of Waterloo where he’ll pursue a master’s degree in pure mathematics. 

Rollick’s longer term plans are to complete his PhD, and postdoctoral studies in Europe, eventually returning to Canada to teach. 

“Sharing my expertise with students and doing research of my own is exactly the dream job I had hoped for back when I was a teen,” he says. “Thanks to the experiences I’ve had at the University of Calgary, I feel prepared and empowered to take the next step and make my dream a reality."