Commencement Heather L. Anderson

Heather L. Anderson, math teacher

Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School Palmer, Massachusetts

Heather Anderson “was the first person to ever tell me that I was smart in math,” says Katherine (Kat) Cyr ’19E. Prior to that, although she had always done well on her math exams, it had never occurred to Cyr that she was talented in math or that attending college to study math might be an attainable future. As a high school sophomore, Cyr was one of only three female students in a nearly all-male pre-calculus class. Anderson, herself new to teaching at the time, was an inspiring and relatable role model. Impressively organized, she commanded respect even while being soft-spoken and warmly engaging. Anderson discussed her own master’s thesis research with Cyr and shared her story of attending a local community college before transferring to Westfield State University. In so doing, she encouraged Cyr to see a potential path for herself. “Without Mrs. Anderson’s guidance, I don’t think I would have had the courage and the vision to attend Quinsigamond Community College and eventually transfer to Amherst’s mathematics program,” says Cyr, who will graduate with a double major in math and an interdisciplinary major that combines math, psychology, and philosophy.