My name is Bryan Panarella. I was born and raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. My first significant moment with mathematics was in an accounting class at La Salle Boys High School. The money management aspects of accounting slightly increased my interest in mathematics. Otherwise, my attitude toward mathematics was simply to complete a requirement to receive my high school diploma. Other than accounting, mathematics was not enjoyable—saying hate would be too strong a word. However, when entering the prison system, mathematics became an exciting escape from the daily chaos that surrounded me. This began in the Fall of 2018 when Bennington College accepted me into their program.
That semester carried a mandated college prep course, where we did writing/reading in the first half of the course and math for the second. Once again, mathematics drew my interest. Relating numbers back to making money was intriguing. My mathematical skills developed throughout the semester. As a result, my confidence in my mathematical abilities moved me to consider greater possibilities within the field of mathematics.
My next mathematical course was in the Fall of 2019; it was basic algebra with Professor Kathryn Schonbeck. Being thrown into a different kind of mathematical level was challenging in unexpected ways. I became lost in a web of multistep problems and asked many questions in class—and learned that if you seek help and someone gives it to you, then you better accept it. Doing this helped me successfully complete challenging homework problems, as well as follow the complex solutions that Professor Schonbeck gave in class. As the semester progressed, my confidence increased because of the considerable understanding of the material shown to me.
The following semester, I took Trigonometry, taught by Professor Timothy Kane, who was my professor for College Prep. Early in the semester, I was working through unfamiliar Geometry and Algebra topics. That was a class where students were able to collaborate with one another in order to fill the conceptual and computational gaps needed when working with abstract mathematics. Trigonometry gave me the ability to connect prior mathematical understanding to the concepts of this course. Over the semester, my skills grew, but having failed to submit two projects prior to the Covid-19 disruption, this reflected on my final grade. Even with those minor setbacks, Professor Kane believed in my mathematical abilities. He further suggested that I continue studying mathematics and expanding my understanding of the structure and process. This involved practicing in order to achieve success in much more complex mathematical problems.
The following Fall 2020 semester, Pre-Calculus began; this was with Professor Schonbeck. Professor Schonbeck acknowledged my growth as a math student when she taught me Basic Algebra. It all boiled down to my mathematical abilities to create art through numerical analysis. Professor Schonbeck suggested that my next course should be Calculus I. She informed me that a review of Log and Exponential Functions, along with applications of the unit circle, would be useful as a mathematician. Professor Schonbeck further suggested that I take a course in Statistics—many questions regarding the application of mathematics would be addressed in this course.
The following semester, I took a class that was not a math course, but involved numbers and was beneficial to my math career. That course was A Survey of Architectural Concepts taught by Farhad Mirza, this was in Spring 2022. The class consisted of constructing architectural drawings, which required knowledge of measurements when constructing plans and sections. I often worked too fast and forgot to check scale—line weights—and other minor details involving measurements. Eventually, I understood the main concepts introduced in this course. They taught me how to slow down so that I could apply these skills to my future career as a structural engineer, when I will be dealing with blueprints, which consist of plans and sections.
During Fall 2022, I was able to take an advanced course in mathematics called A History of Mathematics, taught by Professor Kane. This was the class where my professor and I truly noticed my development as a mathematician. I thrived as an independent mathematics student, depening less on my peers for computation and understanding more complex mathematical problems.
That same semester, a Computer Applications class taught by Professor Amy Moore was offered. This course was influential because of my interest in accounting and spreadsheets. The class was also beneficial in its application toward my ability to make better financial decisions in my personal and business life. Professor Moore told me that my assessment was correct. She also suggested that I take the advanced course on spreadsheets offered by P.E.I (Bennington College). However, I was transferred to a different correctional facility before that course began and was unable to attend.
In the Summer of 2023, Analytic Trigonometry was taught by Professor Joy Sebesta. On the second day of class, I gave a presentation for my peers, which was referred to as a deep dive. The problem was: Find $A$ and $B$ if $A = \theta$ and $B = \frac{1}{\theta}$. I knew that $C$ is $90^\circ$ and the total sum of a triangle is $180^\circ$. Plugging in the necessary numbers by writing out $\theta + \frac{1}{\theta} = 90^\circ$, and subtracting $\theta$ from $\theta$ and $\theta$ from $90^\circ$, this was done to transfer the $\theta$ sign to the opposite side of the equation. That left $\frac{1}{\theta} = 90^\circ - \theta$. Then, multiplying $\theta$ into every number in the equation left $1 = 90^\circ\theta - \theta^2$. Transferring everything to the left side of the equation makes it $\theta^2 - 90^\circ\theta + 1 = 0$; noticing this can be solved by using the Quadratic equation, I decided to apply it in this situation. Applying the Quadratic equation below $$\frac{-(-90) \pm \sqrt{(-90)^2 - 4(1)(1)}}{2(1)}$$ comes out to $.0111124832$ for the equation $\frac{90 - \sqrt{8096}}{2}$, and $89.98888752$ for the equation $\frac{90 + \sqrt{8096}}{2}$. My answer to the problem resulted in the following:
$A = 89.98888752^\circ$
$B = .0111124832^\circ$
$C = 90^\circ$
Professor Sebesta was impressed by my insight, drive, and willingness to learn. Completing six assignments earned me an A+ in the course. However, Bard College does not acknowledge A+s and only gave an A as my final grade for the semester.
By Fall 2023, Calculus I with Amy Shapiro helped me understand and analyze different functional changes—algebraically manipulate rational functions to find limits, and explain a limit graphically. Next semester, I began Calculus II with Professor Nathan Borggren, but sadly, he passed away halfway through the semester. Yet, thankfully, Professor Japheth Wood finished our semester, which allowed me to take Ordinary Differential Equations with Professor Abbe Herzig. During Summer 2024, I earned an A in Ordinary Differential Equations. Professor Herzig touched me with her words when she wrote on my CRITE sheet that I am “a strong mathematician!” After that, I was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Fall 2024 with BPI.
The following semester was the start of Calculus III with Professor Kariane Calta. Professor Calta has had a major influence on my education, and I earned an A in her class. In Spring 2025, the “illegal” strike happened in the New York DOCCS. This occurred while Professor Matthew Speck’s Linear Algebra was in progress, along with Discrete Mathematics in Professor Calta's class. Due to the strike, Discrete Mathematics was canceled. However, I was able to finish Linear Algebra and earn an A in that class. Professor Speck stated that I "demonstrated a high level of creativity in your submitted assignments, and regularly offered meaningful contributions to our discussions in class.” He further stated, “It is clear that you are continually considering how the ideas we developed would apply to your interest beyond the course itself, and this interconnectedness of concepts is the key to getting the most you can out of an education in mathematics.”
During Summer 2025, Professors Speck and Wood were the two members of the moderation board panel. I considered them to be respectable mathematicians. At my moderation panel, I presented my senior project idea on Truss Bridges and how force is distributed throughout each beam. My experience as a plumber in the construction field and my desire to become a structural engineer gave me this idea.
My background in plumbing led me to do a project that involves solving and understanding structural issues. I plan on completing the project by applying Linear Algebra and Graph Theory; specifically, using mathematical methods to conduct decision-making processes by applying them to real-world situations. Proper research is needed in order to construct a useful mathematical model that will describe the entire system and solution process. I am proud to say I passed my moderation panel. This was due to the clear communication of my project idea, along with effective writing and the application of the mathematics involved in completing a project like this.
In Fall 2025, I took Discrete Mathematics with Professor Speck and Abstract Algebra with Professor Calta. This semester, we learned LaTeX and had to write a paper on the Kobon Triangle, an open problem in mathematics because of the infinitely many lines one can construct. I was also exposed to proofs, which are extremely hard to construct. I am up for the challenge of becoming a mathematician who constructs flawless proofs, knowing that the skill comes with more experience and hard work.
The best advice I received during my journey came from Professor Calta. She says, “Keep in mind that in more theoretical classes, the focus is not necessarily on content and tools, but on honing your mathematical thinking skills.” I earned an A in both of those classes and was fortunate to have Professor Speck assigned as my senior project advisor.
This past semester, I took Graph Theory in Professor Speck’s class, along with Real Analysis in Professor Calta’s class. This was the most difficult semester so far because I had to work on my senior project while attending these two classes. Education “behind the walls” is far from easy, but nothing in life worth having is ever easily obtained. The most important thing for me is that all these courses have led to strengthening my mathematical abilities, so that I can be a respected mathematician.
My goal is to become a Structural Engineer, which requires a strong background in mathematics. I plan on receiving a Bachelor’s in Mathematics, and following up with a dual Bachelor’s in Engineering. My approach to completing this goal is to familiarize myself with new mathematical problems and terms. My strongest mathematical skill is my capacity to compute problems and solve problems in my mind, but there are many times when I fail to show my work. Suffice it to say, my weakest point in mathematics is test-taking because of the extra pressure exams impose upon individuals. For me, communicating verbally is optimal. I honestly never felt satisfied with a mathematical situation. There is this desire to improve, and this is the dynamic that works for me. My mathematical journey is nowhere near over; it’s just beginning.
Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash.
