Thomas Cancino
My family is Colombian, but I was born and raised in Miami, Florida in the United States. I am currently living in Segovia, Spain to study the Bachelor in Applied Mathematics at IE University. Outside of my academic pursuits, I enjoy reading philosophy and anything else that stimulates my mind. But I also enjoy physical activity; I go to the gym, I enjoy track and field events—sprinting in particular—and I play football with my friends.
"My advice is to make the most of the experience and try to enjoy the learning process."
Immersing himself in a complex challenge
Though Florida native Thomas Cancino is in the early stages of his journey at IE University, it’s clear he’s already taken to both his program and his location. Studying the Bachelor in Applied Mathematics means that he’ll enjoy the first two years of the program at the spectacular and ancient Convent of Santa Cruz la Real in the beautiful city of Segovia, before heading to the more modern surroundings of the capital to complete his final two years of study at IE University.
While he’ll no doubt enjoy the bustle of a world city like Madrid, Thomas makes no secret of the fact that part of the reason he came to Spain was for the picturesque natural beauty of the country. “I really have come to enjoy Spanish landscapes!” he tells us. But that’s not the only thing he’s quickly come to appreciate about life at IE University. Thomas has felt at home in no time, within an overall atmosphere he describes as “positive and friendly,” so he’s clearly enjoying the human aspects of Segovia too.
He has quickly identified his favorites from among the many classes of what’s a busy first semester. The program features a highly practical approach and is designed to help students solve real problems as they arise in what’s been an unpredictable 21st century so far. But it starts by building the fundamentals, and Thomas names Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics and Geometry as having been “fundamental in introducing me to more abstract concepts and helping me develop mathematical maturity in dealing with them.” His early impressions of the program are that it’s far from the traditional approach to the subject that most people would recognize—in the best way.
So much so that he’s already in no doubt that anybody considering following in his footsteps should go for it. “My advice is to make the most of the experience,” he counsels, even as he concedes the challenging nature of his choice. “Try to enjoy the learning process, though sometimes it may be hard.”
Stepping up to face a challenging prospect is exactly what we know we’ll get from our candidates, and we’ll be following Thomas’ progress along the rest of his IE University journey with interest!