Image by Julia Malakie
05/17/2018
Lowell Sun
By Kori Tuitt
LOWELL -- Nicholas Raymond has not let personal challenges hinder his path to success.
Being born with spinal muscular atrophy, which has required him to use a wheelchair, presents its own limitations -- but nothing could stop Raymond from earning a 4.0 grade point average and being named the recipient of a Chancellor's Medal for Distinguished Academic Achievement. He received the top grade point average in UMass Lowell's Kennedy College of Sciences.
With graduation just days away, Raymond, 22, of Chelmsford, just can't believe how fast the time has gone.
"It's been great. I love the professors and the classes are so interesting," the math major said, adding that there was a lot he was introduced to that he never thought to study before.
Math has always been a strong suit of Raymond's. In his senior year of high school, he learned about actuarial science, which heavily involves statistics. Now, he's set to take the next step to pursue a master's degree in math, with a concentration in statistics at UMass Lowell. Raymond's goal is to start a career in insurance actuary, where he can make predictions.
"When I get into something, I really devote myself to it," he said.
Kenneth Levasseur, a math professor in the College of Sciences, has been Nicholas' adviser for the past four years.
"He works extremely hard and it's no surprise that he's become one of our best students. His perseverance is extraordinary," Levasseur said.
"He's very personable and he does have a handicap that keeps him from doing a lot of things, but he makes the most of what he is able to do."
Levasseur met with him on a regular basis, advising him on his senior thesis project about twin prime conjecture. Twin primes are pairs that are two units a part -- for example 11 and 13. Levasseur said two years ago, there was a major breakthrough, but the long-standing conjecture that there is an infinite number of twin primes has not yet been proven.
"It's the kind of thing that a small percentage of mathematicians in the world actually fully understand, so it was a daunting project for him," Levasseur said. "He made major progress and he made a very nice honors presentation on the topic. He's not afraid to attempt difficult problems."
Raymond's sister, Elizabeth Raymond, 19, also attends UMass Lowell and is studying psychology, with a minor in criminal justice. She also has spinal muscular atrophy. Brother and sister both said the university has opened them up to many opportunities.
"It's opened so many more doorways for me -- opportunities for jobs, experiences for becoming more independent and more aware of what's happening," Nicholas Raymond said.
UMass Lowell has also been a place where they felt their special needs were accommodated.
"I was worried when we first got here that it would be harder for us to get around because it's a city and because there's so many things going on, like with the buildings being redone," Elizabeth Raymond said. "So, I was a little worried at first, but the people in the Disabilities Services, they're very nice and I feel like I can ask them anything and they'll help me out."
Graduation preparation is also something Nicholas Raymond is grateful for.
"Even just this past week with graduation and the logistics of how to get on stage, they just handled it greatly," Nicholas Raymond added.
For their mother, it has been a treat to see the success of her children.
"They are very impressive. I'm very, very lucky," said their mother, Kathy Raymond, who is her son's personal care assistant. "They amaze me.
"They've grown so much, they're very mature, they're adults," she added. "I think they're really good people."
To celebrate graduating, next month, the family will be taking a flight to Salt Lake City. For two weeks they will be road tripping across the country.