ROCK Star: Tracy Drinkwater
ROCK STARS
Inspired by the classic "Dewar’s Profiles," we’re highlighting the Islanders who make this community (and the world) a little brighter. This week, we feature a pattern-seeker, a polyglot, and the driving force behind the city's newest math movement.
THE PROFILE: TRACY DRINKWATER
HOME: Mercer Island, WA. A resident since 1999, drawn here by the promise of a "fabulous" community for her young children.
PROFESSION: Founder and Board President of the Seattle Universal Math Museum (SUMM); Former Mercer Island School Board Director; Math and Special Ed Teacher; primary caregiver to her adult daughter with special needs.
HOBBIES: A linguistic architect. She studies French, Norwegian, Spanish, and Danish, finding the same logic and patterns in verbs that she finds in equations.
LAST ACCOMPLISHMENT: "Pulled it off" by leading her nonprofit, SUMM, to exceed $1 million in revenue this past fiscal year. SUMM is a space for learners to engage with math in hands-on, fun ways that spark curiosity and ignite new ideas that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. SUMM will take you on a math journey and create opportunities for exploration, discovery, and growth. Its mission is to spark each and every person to love math.
QUOTE: "Manifest that $#*@!" (She prefers the unedited version, but we’ll keep it family-friendly).
CREATIVE FUEL: A hot cup of tea and the soothing piano of George Winston.
ON HER NIGHTSTAND: Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. She finds the classics by female authors to be the perfect sanctuary from the noise of modern politics.
WHY SHE DOES WHAT SHE DOES: "Seeing kids—or anyone that’s been a kid—light up when they realize they love hands-on math experiences. When adults light up too, they’re getting in touch with an inner child still yearning for a positive math experience."
WHAT’S NEXT: SUMM is opening its first Visitor’s Center at Kent Station! Catch the soft opening on Saturday, February 7, or join the Grand Opening celebration on Pi Day, March 14.
LEARN MORE: seattlemathmuseum.org
Finding inspiration at the
Mathematikum
Giessen, Germany