For most of my career, September marked the start of a new academic year. I secretly loved being on the quarter system—it gave me a few extra weeks of breathing room. While colleagues in K–16 were already deep in syllabi, lectures, and office hours, I still had the luxury of pretending it was summer just a little longer. Those extra weeks always felt like a small gift—time to read, think, and maybe even finish some lingering projects.
This year is different. As Executive Director of the Seattle Universal Math Museum, I don’t feel that gentle pause before fall. The cadence of nonprofit work is steady and unrelenting, season after season. Instead of curling up with a good book on a gray Sunday morning, I’m knee-deep in annual reports, donor databases, board meeting prep, and contingency planning. The work is constant, but it is also deeply meaningful.
Even without the old rhythms of the academic calendar, I feel connected to that autumnal sense of beginning. Just as students sharpen their pencils and set intentions for the year, SUMM is entering a season of renewed purpose—expanding programs, strengthening partnerships, and continuing to create joyful math experiences for all.
And while I no longer walk into a classroom on the first day of fall quarter, I carry with me the same spirit of anticipation. To my friends and colleagues returning to teaching: may your year be filled with curiosity, laughter, and discovery. And to my fellow nonprofit travelers: here’s to the ongoing work of building, sustaining, and dreaming—even when the seasons blur together.
Math Belongs to All of Us 