diff --git a/src/semantic/mod.rs b/src/semantic/mod.rs
index 8956ea2..cf28d6c 100644
--- a/src/semantic/mod.rs
+++ b/src/semantic/mod.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ use symbol_table::{SymbolEntry, SymbolTable};
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    use std::{borrow::BorrowMut, rc::Rc};
+
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]
@@ -24,17 +26,18 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_2() {
-        let mut global_scope = SymbolTable::new();
+        let global_scope = SymbolTable::new();
+
         let main_function = SymbolEntry::new_function(vec![], String::from("Unit"));
         global_scope.insert("main".into(), main_function);
         global_scope.insert("db_url".into(), SymbolEntry::Variable("String".into()));
 
         let add_function =
             SymbolEntry::new_function(vec!["Int".into(), "Int".into()], "Int".into());
+
         global_scope.insert("add".into(), add_function);
 
-        let mut main_function_scope = SymbolTable::new_from_parent(&global_scope);
-
+        let main_function_scope = SymbolTable::new_from_parent(&global_scope);
         main_function_scope.insert("message".into(), SymbolEntry::Variable("String".into()));
 
         assert!(main_function_scope.test(&"message".into()));
@@ -42,11 +45,11 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(main_function_scope.test(&"non_existant".into()), false);
 
         let mut add_function_scope = SymbolTable::new_from_parent(&global_scope);
+
         add_function_scope.insert("a".into(), SymbolEntry::Variable("Int".into()));
         add_function_scope.insert("b".into(), SymbolEntry::Variable("Int".into()));
 
         assert!(add_function_scope.test(&"a".into()));
-
         global_scope.insert("test".into(), SymbolEntry::Variable("Int".into()));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/semantic/symbol_table.rs b/src/semantic/symbol_table.rs
index 779169b..de7a0f7 100644
--- a/src/semantic/symbol_table.rs
+++ b/src/semantic/symbol_table.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-use std::{collections::HashMap, rc::Rc, cell::RefCell};
+use std::{cell::RefCell, collections::HashMap, rc::Rc};
+
+/// Public interface for the symbol table
+pub struct SymbolTable {
+    node: Rc<RefCell<SymbolTableNode>>,
+}
 
 // struct for a symbol table
-pub struct SymbolTable<'a> {
+struct SymbolTableNode {
     // the parent scope
-    parent: Option<Rc<RefCell<&'a SymbolTable<'a>>>>,
+    parent: Option<Rc<RefCell<SymbolTableNode>>>,
     // the current scope
     scope: HashMap<String, SymbolEntry>,
 }
@@ -15,19 +20,46 @@ pub enum SymbolEntry {
     Function(Vec<String>, String),
 }
 
-impl SymbolTable<'_> {
+impl SymbolTable {
     /// Creates a new, global symbol table
-    pub fn new<'a>() -> SymbolTable<'a> {
+    pub fn new() -> SymbolTable {
         SymbolTable {
+            node: Rc::new(RefCell::new(SymbolTableNode::new())),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn new_from_parent(parent: &SymbolTable) -> SymbolTable {
+        let new_table = SymbolTableNode::new_from_parent(&parent.node);
+
+        SymbolTable {
+            node: Rc::new(RefCell::new(new_table)),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Inserts a new symbol into the current table scope
+    pub fn insert(&self, key: String, value: SymbolEntry) {
+        self.node.borrow_mut().insert(key, value);
+    }
+
+    /// Tests if a symbol is declared in the current or parent scopes
+    pub fn test(&self, key: &String) -> bool {
+        self.node.borrow_mut().test(key)
+    }
+}
+
+impl SymbolTableNode {
+    /// Creates a new, global symbol table
+    pub fn new<'a>() -> SymbolTableNode {
+        SymbolTableNode {
             parent: None,
             scope: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 
     /// Creates a new symbol table with a parent
-    pub fn new_from_parent<'a>(parent: &'a SymbolTable<'a>) -> SymbolTable<'a> {
-        SymbolTable {
-            parent: Some(Rc::new(RefCell::new(parent))),
+    pub fn new_from_parent<'a>(parent: &Rc<RefCell<SymbolTableNode>>) -> SymbolTableNode {
+        SymbolTableNode {
+            parent: Some(Rc::clone(&parent)),
             scope: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
@@ -38,16 +70,16 @@ impl SymbolTable<'_> {
     }
 
     /// Tests if a symbol is declared in the current or parent scopes
-    pub fn test(&self, key: &String) -> bool {
+    pub fn test(&mut self, key: &String) -> bool {
         if self.scope.contains_key(key) {
             return true;
         }
 
         match &self.parent {
             Some(parent) => {
-                let parent = parent.borrow();
+                let mut parent = parent.as_ref().borrow_mut();
                 parent.test(key)
-            },
+            }
             None => false,
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/syntax/functions/function_declaration.rs b/src/syntax/functions/function_declaration.rs
index d1fd55a..128167a 100644
--- a/src/syntax/functions/function_declaration.rs
+++ b/src/syntax/functions/function_declaration.rs
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@ use crate::{
     utils::Result3,
 };
 
-use super::{super::{
-    ast::FunctionDeclaration,
-    block::parse_block,
-    utils::{parse_token_type, try_token_type},
-    ParseResult,
-}, params_list::parse_params_list};
+use super::{
+    super::{
+        ast::FunctionDeclaration,
+        block::parse_block,
+        utils::{parse_token_type, try_token_type},
+        ParseResult,
+    },
+    params_list::parse_params_list,
+};
 
 pub fn try_parse<'a>(tokens: &'a Vec<Token>, pos: usize) -> ParseResult<FunctionDeclaration, ()> {
     let mut current_pos = pos;
diff --git a/src/syntax/functions/mod.rs b/src/syntax/functions/mod.rs
index 6bdfe94..1546abe 100644
--- a/src/syntax/functions/mod.rs
+++ b/src/syntax/functions/mod.rs
@@ -2,4 +2,3 @@ pub mod arguments_list;
 
 pub mod function_declaration;
 pub mod params_list;
-