Callie Duque is a firstcallie duque-year PhD student in the Department of Applied Mathematics, as well as a wife and new mom. Callie received her bachelors of science degree in Mathematics from South Dakota State University in May 2018.
   She and her family moved to Boulder this summer, so she could continue to pursue her love of studying mathematics. She has been focused on coursework through her first semester and has not yet chosen a research area. Callie has been enjoying learning about new and different topics within the applied mathematics field, and she looks forward to getting to know the professors of the department better in order to pick a research area.
   Pursuing her love of mathematics hasn’t been without its challenges, however. Callie and her husband, Luis, joyfully welcomed their first child, Leo, into the world in April 2018. Balancing a newly changed family life with the added demands of graduate student life has been difficult, but Callie has received a lot of encouragement from her husband and family, peers and the Applied Mathematics faculty. Further, being named the first Rudy Lee Horne Scholar has inspired Callie to work even harder towards her goal so that she can set an example for her son and for other moms who aspire to pursue higher education. She is so humbled and thankful to have been recognized in this regard.