Benjamin Vakil
Hi, I'm Benjamin!
(Fig. 1) Me, atop the 3 at Ohio State's Number Garden during an outing for the Ross Program.
(Fig. 2) Me, dressed in a nun's habit, performing in the 2024 Gunn Choir/Staff Musical And Then There Were Nuns.
I'm Benjamin Vakil, and I'm currently a first-year math major at the University of Connecticut (where I'm also pursuing a history minor). I grew up in Stanford, California, where I attended Henry M. Gunn High School. Right now, I'm interested in diving deeper into algebra and number theory, including thinking about some hard problems in arithmetic geometry. During the summer of 2023, I attended the Ross Mathematics Program in Ohio (see Fig. 1).
I've been very passionate about math education; in my last two years of high school, I led a massive effort to reinstate Multivariable Calculus at Gunn and Paly (the two high schools in Palo Alto), as well as urging the school district to make higher level classes available to more students. We brought over 50 students to testify in favor of math in front of the school board and wrote an open letter that garnered almost 300 student signatures—I've linked some of the news coverage and articles we wrote here. I am always happy to talk to anybody (particularly students) about anything related to math or math education. Don't hesitate to reach out!
Besides math, I am interested in history, politics, political science, and international relations. In my senior year of high school, I TA'd for a sophomore social justice government/contemporary world history class and helped my mentor with her Foreign Policy Honors class (which I had taken the previous year). During all four years of high school, I sang in Gunn's concert choir and chamber singers (see Fig. 2) and participated in various honors choirs. My passion for singing has led me to perform in the Mormon Tabernacle, Sydney Opera House, and Toledo Cathedral in Spain. I was also invited to participate in an honors choir at Carnegie Hall.
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Relatable Phineas and Ferb:
(Fig. 3) A deep investigation of the relationship between math and emotion.
Thoughts on Genealogy
When I was younger, I did extensive Genealogical research into my family history. I feel it's of utmost importance to be informed and interested in one's history, even if it doesn't define you. I've included a recipe for gingerbread found in the diary of my 4x-great-grandfather, Joseph Staveley, as an illustration of what there is to be found.
(Fig. 4) A recipe from the diary of Joseph Staveley (c. 1816-1879) for "Ginger bread Nuts." I've made it and it's actually quite good. (c. after 1855)
If you're looking for my dad: virtualmath1.stanford.edu/~vakil/