You might not know this, but April is Math and Statistics Month! Every year, the International Mathematical Union decides on a theme to flavor the celebration, spark creativity, and make connections between math and various concepts, fields, and ideas. The theme for 2026 was announced as Mathematics and Hope Month! And on that note, we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Colin-Jimenez, a current math student at NHCC. Brenda has a passion for math, helping others, and hope for the future!
Get to know Brenda in the Q&A below!
Originally, you didn’t start as a math major, correct?
Yeah, I actually started in computer science. But after taking a class with David Liew, I realized how much I loved math. I just kept taking more classes, and now I’m a math major taking Calculus II. I’ll be transferring to the University of Minnesota this fall to continue studying math.
Are you involved with any clubs at NHCC?
I’m in Be Bold, Break the Mold. I just went on a field trip with them recently to a local engineering firm called Cybertrol Engineering. It was super interesting, and we got to look at the schematics of all their panels! They mainly make panels for manufacturing companies, or basically any place that has a giant warehouse with machines operating. Cybertrol makes the panels, they program them, and they write up schematics and write up how everything is integrated. It was a cool field trip, and it was really fun! Currently, there are only three women who work at Cybertrol Engineering. I knew that not a lot of women worked in those fields, but I was still really shocked to hear that only three out of 90 people who work there are women. It's a small company, but hearing that was shocking!
What made you switch from computer science to math?
For one thing, I didn't like coding. I'll do it, and I understand it, but I just didn't like doing it. The only thing I really enjoyed about coding was the math aspect of it. We had an assignment in our Java class where we had to figure out a formula to create a random color of something. There's a specific mathematical format needed to do it, but our teacher said, ‘You have to figure it out on your own.’ So, I started thinking about it, and I realized, ‘Okay, it's going to be this times this.’ Before I knew it, I was finished, and I just remember feeling like, ‘Oh wow, that was a lot of fun!’ After that, I talked to my advisor about switching majors. At the time, I was also thinking about studying engineering, too. I knew it would either be engineering or math. I like electronics, and I like schematics, but I didn't know if I really wanted to go into engineering. With math, there’s just a broader direction that you can take it in. There’s a lot you can do with math later on. You can go into financial analysis, you can go into accounting…there are so many routes you can go with math, so many doors that it can open, and I thought that was really cool! Doing the math part of coding was what showed me that I liked math more than coding. That’s when I realized I liked math more than computer science, and I took both of those classes at the same time. I was starting to realize I didn’t like coding, and obviously, computer science is all coding, so I was like, ‘Hmm, I don’t think this is my thing.’ With engineering, I kind of felt like I’d be an engineer and that’s it, but math felt like the right path for me.
How did you decide on the University of Minnesota?
I had originally planned to go to Metro State, but I’ve always wanted to go to the U of M. Through Be Bold, Break the Mold, I attended a panel with professionals from different companies. One speaker mentioned that many employers specifically look for U of M graduates. That really influenced my decision, and I figured, ‘Well, if I want a shot at the best company, the U of M would probably be the better option for me.’
Was there a teacher or class that sparked your interest in math?
Yes, I would say, David Liew. I really got hooked on math when I took his College Algebra class. He kept telling us, ‘Just work through it, just work through it,’ and I think that was really helpful to me. When you take English classes, there's never a solid answer to anything, right? When you take art classes, it’s the same thing. But with math, there's usually only one solid answer. So, I kind of like the fact that you always get an answer to everything. Also, my Calculus I teacher, Deane Newborg, was very encouraging, too. She’s a strong believer in group work, which helped me learn from other students and really solidified my interest.
Were you interested in math in high school?
No…Actually, I kind of hated math in high school! It was mostly because I just found it so boring. When I came to college, that’s when I started to look at math from a different perspective since I knew I had to take higher-level math classes. My mindset shifted, and I knew I couldn’t get away with not paying attention in class or thinking this is boring. Now I had to walk in and make sure I knew what I was doing. I was good at math in high school, but it just bored me. I didn't want to go further with it because I didn't think I would ever use it, but then when I went back to college, I was like, ‘Oh, wait, I actually need so much math!’ It's really funny because in Be Bold Break the Mold, we also get a mentor, and my mentor runs a shop where she teaches people how to sew and hosts classes. She previously worked for a tech group, but she would tell me stories about how sewing involves a lot of math. Sewing machines actually have a mathematical pattern that they use to sew, and you’re just adjusting the formula when you need to change the pace or whatever you're doing when you're sewing.
Do you have a favorite thing you’ve learned in math class?
My favorite thing, I guess, is probably cosine waves, sine waves, and the unit circle. They’re my favorite because math is everywhere, and sine waves are actually sound waves as well. It’s cool to see how math shows up in real life—like a sound wave of your voice or even color waves in art. Math is everywhere!
What does a typical week look like for you?
I do a lot of stuff on campus, and most of my classes are in-person, so I'm usually here on-campus. I also work as a peer tutor in the library on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday afternoons. My week involves a lot of math! Every day I'm doing math, pretty much! Because anytime that I'm not tutoring, I'm in my math classes. Then in the afternoon, I have another job that I go to, and that's pretty much it! I try to go to whatever events that NHCC has going on, and I try to be as active as I can be in the community.
Are you the first in your family to go to college?
Yes, I’m a first-generation student. I'm glad that I have the opportunity to go to college because it kind of just reminds me of everyone in the past who wasn't able to, like other women, my brother. There are just so many people, even one generation before me, who couldn't go to school, like my mother, who wasn't able to go to school. It's a lot of weight on you when you're a first-gen student. I think that it's really confusing trying to navigate college, like I didn't know how scholarships work, and I didn't know anything really, but I think here specifically at NHCC, there are so many opportunities and so many people that will give you information and just tell you how it is and how everything works.
Do you feel like NHCC has been a welcoming place?
Definitely. My first year was hard because I didn’t know what to expect, but now I have everything down, and I know my routine. I’ve made great connections, and a lot of my friends are also transferring to the U of M. I also think NHCC excels in terms of advisors and the TRIO program, which I’m in as well. Since the pool is smaller for the number of students that each TRIO advisor has to deal with, you just end up with a lot of really easy one-on-one time with your advisor. They’re always concerned with whatever you're doing, and they check up on you. I also like that they always send us scholarship info. This year, I’ve really made an effort to get involved in the community, too. That was a goal I set for myself with Be Bold at the beginning of the year. Just in general, Be Bold, Break the Mold has helped me so much, like an unbelievable amount, with scholarships, with moral support, and with support overall! Even the mentors are really helpful with information and insight. All the people are helpful there, students, too! If you have a question or if you want advice, you can just ask another student!
What advice would you give to other students interested in math?
I would tell them to memorize the unit circle! Haha! You need it! The unit circle is a math thing, but you use it a lot. Definitely in every single class after pre-calc. But it's nice to know where different trigonometric functions are at different angles. It’s just nice to know! Then you won’t have to look it up a million times or reference a chart, because that can take a lot of time, and when you're doing problems that are page-long, it's just helpful to memorize everything. I would also tell them to just persevere. I think a lot of people think that you are either good at math or bad at math, but I don't think it's like that. I think you know when to persevere, and you know when not to, or when you don't want to, and I think people get really caught up in grades, or in just wanting to get things right away, but I will say that you have to fail in order to learn, eventually. That doesn't mean failing a test, but it means when you're practicing problems, sometimes you just won't get it right away, and that's okay, and I think a lot of women, especially, are really hard on themselves, and they don't know that not being okay is okay sometimes. You don't have to be 100% perfect!
What’s one thing you love about being a student here?
The events and the sense of community. Plus the free food!
What are your hopes for the future?
I'm considering possibly getting a PhD, but we'll see where life takes me. It depends! I also want to continue traveling, and hopefully I'll get a really nice tech job. That’s the goal! But if not, being an accountant would be a cool job, too, (because all you do is numbers!) I think eventually I would like to start up a foundation, or something to help the community, kind of like how Be Bold Break the Mold helped me. I want to be able to participate in something like that later on! I know right now they have one or two mentors who actually went to North Hennepin, so I'm hoping to come back as a mentor eventually later on, too.
Brenda, thanks so much for sharing your story with us! We know you’ll do big things in the world of math, and we can’t wait to have you join Be Bold as a future mentor someday!