BS Mathematics, 2002
Scott Mark, BS Mathematics, 2002, is currently working as an estimator and project manager for a concrete & masonry supply company in Beverly, NJ. He calculates total quantities of steel reinforcement and wire mesh for commercial, industrial, and educational facilities.
In his own words:
I graduated from Monmouth University in 2002 (Day-O! Daaaaay-O!). While in school, I had a number of different ideas I was throwing around as to what I wanted to do with my next step in life. I was a peer tutor for two and a half years in the Mathematics Learning Center (under the supervision of Judy Toubin). My senior year I worked in the Mathematics computer lab as a lab assistant. (Dr. Richard Kuntz requested my presence.) I was also a resident assistant in the residence halls. With all of that background, I toyed with continuing my education at another university while working as a graduate resident assistant. Had I continued my education, it most likely would have been to get my Masters in Education and eventually become a math teacher. I also looked into becoming an actuary. Ultimately, I decided to take a position with a landscape and concrete company (for which I had worked summers out in the field) as their estimator. There I would do takeoffs for excavation of new home sites, grading of the lots, installation of irrigation systems, as well as working with the sod and landscape (plant) packages.
Unfortunately, the housing market began to take a plunge in 2007, and many of the contracts we were accustomed to receiving were beginning to dry up. At that time, I began looking elsewhere and came across a position of estimator/project manager with one of my material suppliers. I met with the owners of the company on a more professional interview and began working for them in January 2008. After an adjustment period of learning the new software and getting used to the different styles of foundations I was now working with, the company had its largest year to date right before the economy went south. The company has grown immensely over the past few years and we even supplied materials for a number of buildings that were constructed on the Monmouth University Campus (The OceanFirst Bank Center, Hesse hall, and 800 Building to name a few).
I may not have had a clear and concise direction while in school, but I have become very happy with the path that I ultimately took. Monmouth University allowed me to be more open with my options. I enrolled in many elective courses to see what I might like, which ultimately broadened my knowledge base outside of the mathematics realm. If I were to do it all over again (which in many ways I should definitely want to), I would not change anything.