Every Covenant College student is well acquainted with the school’s motto, “In All Things Christ Preeminent,” and math major Hannah Preston '25 finds the application of this statement in areas of her studies that she’s never considered before. According to Preston, her math major has revealed God’s glory in the order of creation.

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Preston did not have one particular dream job from childhood. While many possible paths caught her attention, there was never one particular choice that stood out. Her father being a math major, she grew up assured that the major would open up numerous opportunities, as well as being something she enjoyed.

Preston began her college search looking for small Christian schools. Although she did not initially intend to choose an out-of-state school, Preston toured Covenant and found that she loved the genuine Christianity she found on campus. Preston admired the way the school put God above everything, even academics, without lowering the quality of the academics. In the fall of 2021, Preston began attending Covenant as a math major.

Being in one of the smaller majors at Covenant provides is not without its challenges  “It’s harder to get connected with people,” Preston said. Very few freshmen in her class came in as math majors, and after one switched, they were left with even fewer. Even with the difficulty of having few students in the major, Preston is hopeful that the relatively few students will allow for more time to work with professors one-on-one in upper level classes. 

When discussing the highlights both of her major and the school as a whole, Preston emphasized the preeminence of Christ that has been displayed in her time as a student, particularly in Dr. Stern’s Calculus 1 class. 

“God created a world that’s so ordered that we have these theorems and laws,” Preston said, drawing from her studies in Calculus 1. Having gone to a public high school, Preston had not experienced this perspective, and her appreciation for math grew from hearing it.

“As we’re struggling to understand the concepts - we’re trying to learn what it is - we’re at the same time appreciating that it’s not people that have come up with this. God gave this gift to us, and people have uncovered it and discovered it,” Dr. Stern said when asked about the connection between faith and math.

After twenty years of teaching at a large public university, Stern appreciates the freedom he’s found in his ten years at Covenant to incorporate his faith into the math classes and the opportunity the size of the school gives him to get to know his students. Preston similarly stated that she appreciates the same elements of her education at Covenant.

Outside of her math classes, Preston has enjoyed theology classes such as Christian Mind and Introduction to the Old Testament. Preston enjoyed the former because it gave her understanding of different doctrines from a PCA perspective, which she especially enjoyed because her background was not PCA. The latter she found beneficial to understanding the biblical narrative. Outside of class, Preston enjoys hanging out with friends, reading, and outdoors activities.

While her future and career path have not become evident yet, Preston enjoys her classes and is happy with her major. She looks forward to taking on the challenge of upper level courses and continuing to learn how math reveals God’s glory in his creation.

This article originally appreared in the Feb. 14, 2022 issue of The Bagpipe.

 

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