How did you initially become interested in math?
Throughout my education, I always enjoyed problem-solving and arriving at a definitive solution. I loved approaching each problem as a personal challenge, and I quickly became interested in digging deeper into the mathematics, answering the question "why" as often as "how", and making connections among various concepts. As an engineering student early in my college years, I quickly discovered my passion for teaching as well, and so I began my journey of educating others to become critical, mathematical thinkers.
Can you share a few of your insights regarding student success?
As I was a high school math teacher for 13 years, I developed a belief that relationships and motivation are central to student success. I always make it a point to connect with my students, show them that I genuinely care about their success, and provide them with an engaging learning experience. I also believe that digging deep into mathematics and examining the connections among topics will allow students to understand the big picture and see how the pieces of the big math puzzle fit together. At the same time, I like to teach students how discipline,commitment, persistence, and open-mindedness are essential as they attempt to overcome any challenge they face.
What are some of your goals for this first year at WCC?
I have a number of goals for my first year, yet my main goal is to develop the courses that I am teaching (Pre-Calculus, Statistics, Calculus) and provide my students with engaging and successful learning experiences. I also hope to integrate a variety of technological tools into my instruction, improve my time management in longer classes, learn as much as I can about the resources available here at WCC for both me and my students, and get to know as many of my new colleagues as possible. I am very excited about joining the WCC team, and I am so grateful that I have an opportunity to teach here.