Balancing the Numbers with Alees Seehausen

Life is complicated and busy for Seehausen. She is a scholar/athlete at Metropolitan State College of Denver. She would say her life at MSCD is the same as every other student; it’s about finding balance.

“I would like to find a happy medium, I don’t know how to do that yet,” said Alees Seehausen. She is on a path of self-discovery. She is learning what works for her to achieve that balance of life and school.

She is a mathematics major at MSCD, goalkeeper for the Lady Roadrunner Soccer team and was recently elected senator to the Student Government Association. Seehausen is about community and having experiences at MSCD. Playing soccer provided this for her.


The Soccer Player
Seehausen was recruited by MSCD to play soccer four years ago as a goalkeeper. The Lady Roadrunners are a very successful college program with two national championships (2004 and 2006) and has the second-most NCAA Tournament wins in NCAA Division II.

This season was not as successful as other seasons. The injuries decimated the lineup, and by the end of the season Seehausen had to play a different position. The team did loose in overtime in the third round of Nationals, but Seehausen was proud on how that played the game. “Our team played so well, it was the most beautiful thing ever to see,” said Seehausen.

The success does have its costs. The constant travel and training really limits the time Seehausen can dedicate to school. “I learned the hard way that some things can’t get done,“ said Seehausen. She has decided you forgo playing her senior year to focus on academics. Seehausen said, “School would effect how I played soccer, and soccer would effect school.” Seehausen still loves soccer, and she will miss her teammates.


The Student
Despite the juggling act, Seehausen maintains a 3.68 grade point average and has been a three time Academic All-American in soccer.

As a goalkeeper, Seehausen loves the mental challenge of the position. Its a logical and brain intensive. It’s those same qualities that fuel her love for math. As a major of Theoretical mathematics, she loves solving problems and proving proofs. Seehausen said, “Everyday is puzzle and you get to figure it out.”

Theoretical or “pure” mathematics is the study of the basic concepts and structure of mathematics. The goal is to arrive at a deeper understanding and expanded knowledge of math itself. Asked why math, Seehausen said, “I love it, it makes sense to me.”

Seehausen’s path to mathematics was not linear. She started out as a math education major, but decided to focus on chemistry and biology. The reason for this change was due to two math classes that were predominantly male. She soon started missing math and decided to take a proofs course, and in that course there were other women.

This discovery of other like-minded women changed her mind, and started to foster her sense of community in the mathematics program. Seehausen is now part of a club called Metro Women in Mathematics.

Asked what she wants to do with her degree in mathematics, a smile comes across her face. I would like to go to graduate school and study Knot theory.

Trefoil Knot

This mathematical discipline is part of Topology, which is the study of spatial properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects. A good example would be a rubber band. It is continuous, can be stretched, twisted or both. In Knot theory, you may have a one or more bands linked to form a knot. The practical use of Knot theory can be found in the healthcare industry and calculations of DNA mutations.


Giving Back to MSCD
One would think with Seehausen having a full schedule, she would not have time to do anything else. That is not the case; she is also a tutor of physics and chemistry and has recently been elected to the Student Government Assembly. She is believer of community and wanted to get involve in a group that would help achieve that on campus. “I want to help people have a college life,” said Seehausen. Her concern is that many commuter students are not connecting with MSCD and not having a complete college experience.

Looking at what Seehausen has achieved and aspires to be, one would think that there is a balance in her life. The trade-offs that she has had to do are part of maintaining that balance. Everyday is a puzzle and the pieces that work for her are community and interaction.