Erin Prins

Hi everyone! I am so excited to embark on this journey in Disney World this May! My name is Erin Prins, and I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but I have spent the majority of my life in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina (a small town with a weird name outside of Raleigh, North Carolina). I am a current Sophomore at Furman University majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Poverty Studies. I am planning on becoming a high school math teacher after graduation! I am involved in many things on and off campus including Admissions Ambassadors, the Furman Wesley Fellowship, Dins and Dogs, and math education research with Dr. Hawthorne. 

I chose to apply to Math and the Mouse because I heard amazing things from alumni of the program, and saw it as a great way to deepen my understanding of mathematics and see it applied in a very intriguing way. I love working hard in math classes, and I am super excited to do that in the parks! I am also drawn to this program to have a super neat experience that I could tell my future students about, as often times it is easy for high school students (and people in general) to see math as "made up" and "boring," but I think it's pretty hard to argue that Disney World isn't a fun place, and therefore since there is math there, math cannot be boring! This approach may not work, but I do think that it is worth a shot. Lastly, I have had all three of our professors in previous math classes and they have made all of those classes really fun, challenging, and rewarding, so I know that I will receive the same high-quality instruction again, just in the setting of Disney World!

I have visited the parks through family trips, school trips (for academic enrichment and then choir), and a dance trip throughout my childhood, and loved every second of those trips. That being said, it's been 6 years since I have been and I know a lot has changed! I am super excited to ride all of the new attractions and experience all of the new sights, this time with MATH! My top five attractions I am super excited to do while in Orlando are probably Test Track, Avatar Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror, and the People Mover. Test Track was always a big favorite of mine growing up for the speed and the section that goes outside, and Avatar was awesome the last two trips I was able to ride it. Slinky Dog Dash and Tower of Terror are two that I have never been on (Slinky Dog Dash wasn't open on my last trip, and I had an attitude that I hated rides, a feeling I have since realized was a lie, so I previously refused Tower of Terror) but they are both on my list this trip. Then finally, you can judge me on this one, I love the People Mover. I love seeing into the different rides in the area, and for some reason, I specifically remember thoroughly enjoying the loading and unloading process. Again, you can judge me, but I will be riding the People Mover (and all of the thrill rides too, don't worry). 

I am so excited to start this May Experience!