My name is Elizabeth Anderson and I am a sophomore pursuing Applied Mathematics at UCF. I attended Monarch High School. My favorite class at UCF was Calculus II with Dr. Brian Moore. I enjoyed how Dr. Moore always let us know why we were learning certain subjects with interesting examples, along with “”story time”” about topics other than math to give us a short break. Calculus II was just a very challenging class, and after tests or quizzes, I always felt like I did something valuable that day. I decided to be a part of GEMS because I had an amazing mentor my first year and she, along with my mentee group, helped me feel comfortable and prepared for certain classes and challenges that came along with my freshman year. GEMS will provide great opportunities for my mentees just how it gave me great opportunities with meeting amazing people and getting to know other women's success stories. For me, in my freshman year, I got into checking out new music groups, line dancing, rock climbing and rowing. Words of Advice to the GEMS freshman students: Try everything new that is possible, join clubs and study places you wouldn't normally study, therefore you can meet new people and search for what hobby or cause truly makes you happy.