TCHS senior knows math is his path
Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Michael Druggan now pushes himself through independent studies. (Photo: Tammy L. Lane)
In one of his earliest memories of math, Michael Druggan ciphered recipe proportions with his mom at their kitchen table. Now this Tates Creek High senior has added the latest ingredient to his academic mix in Bucharest, where he was part of the six-member U.S. team that won the 2011 Romanian Master of Mathematics competition.
Michael also picked up an individual bronze medal in last month’s contest, which is similar to the International Mathematical Olympiad – this summer’s goal.
“The format was pretty standard, but it had very difficult, non-standard questions,” he said.
The Romanian Master of Mathematics & Sciences contest gives students a chance to not only demonstrate their abilities but also make cross-cultural contacts with peers from more than a dozen nations.
“We had an extra day after the competition to see the city. It was the first time I’ve been out of the country,” said Michael, who plans to keep in touch with his U.S. teammates.
Shannon Cole, head of the math department at Tates Creek High, knows how important such experiences are for gifted students who need extra challenges.
Cole, who taught Michael in her freshman pre-calculus class, now keeps up with him primarily through the school’s International Baccalaureate Programme, where he’s tackling higher-level math. She checks in about once a month.
“I don’t teach him anything – he does it all. He independently reads math books and teaches himself and continues to learn more and more. He just really enjoys it,” Cole said. “He is probably one of the most brilliant students in mathematics I’ve ever encountered. He’s really able to see math in ways other kids can’t.”
Vickie Nelson, who taught Michael at Southern Middle School, recalled him borrowing a novel called “The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure” as well as a college geometry textbook that he carried around everywhere.
“I could live three more lifetimes and not have the gears in my head that he has,” she said. “He nurtures that strength and gravitates toward anything math.”
Still, Nelson and Cole both described Michael as a humble, well-rounded student. He hesitated joining the math team in sixth grade because he was busy with gymnastics. But he did, which led to MATHCOUNTS competitions and everything since, including a perfect score on the ACT college preparatory test.
“You could see his mind wrap around a question before I’d finished reading it. He would not write anything down, and it would only take him seconds,” said Nelson, his math team coach.
Realizing that he inadvertently intimidated fellow students, she sometimes gave him other tasks.
“We would have him read the questions or serve in a different role,” she said. “For kids that bright, we can help them with the social aspect – putting them in a leadership role and creating opportunities for them to mentor other kids.”
Natalee Feese, the middle and high school math content specialist for Fayette County Public Schools, noted how such support is vital.
“He had a lot of people looking out for him,” she said, citing Michael’s teachers, his parents and a core group of friends. “You can be really bright, but if no one pushes you and encourages you …”
Feese recognized Michael’s level of understanding when she met him six years ago, and she has worked to ensure that he has always had chances to grow.
“Michael is a typical kid, and you perhaps would not realize he’s a special mathematician. He has self-initiative and really wants to get at deeper, higher levels. He pushes himself,” she said.
For such gifted students, the key is finding out where their interests lie and pushing them to excel in those areas.
From academic contests in elementary school to an eventual Ph.D. in math, Michael is making the most of his journey, saying, “I really like being able to learn whatever I want.”
FCPS resources:
Natalee Feese, (859) 381-4238