Hometown/Sending School
North Little Rock/ North Little Rock High School
College and Area(s) of Study
Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both in mathematics
Current profession and company. Tell us what you do.
I currently teach mathematics at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics at Morganton, a residential STEM school similar to ASMSA. My time at ASMSA has helped me relate to the unique experience of these residential programs.
What made you choose ASMSA?
The opportunity to enter an academically rigorous community with like-minded peers made ASMSA extremely appealing. While I met many phenomenal people at my homeschool, ASMSA offered a comprehensive community that I had craved throughout my high school experience.
What are your fondest memories of the school?
While I loved the academic rigor, my favorite experience at ASMSA was playing Ultimate Frisbee. I take immense pride in the fact that our team came in 1st in Ultimate both my junior and senior years. Ultimate symbolizes the best part of the ASMSA experience, which were the dorm hangouts outside of the classroom. Looking back, those evening visits were some of my favorite memories from high school.
What do you feel was the most important thing that you learned?
The role of community in education. As a student, I was fixated on “being the best,” where academics was a way to demonstrate ego over my colleagues. However, at ASMSA, I met a whole swathe of people who knew things I didn’t! I think learning how to learn from my peers, as well as communicating with my instructors, taught me how to view education as a collaborative process. These lessons proved invaluable in my undergraduate/graduate career as well as in my teaching.
Share a favorite quote and/or your favorite book.
“Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.” — from Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
What do you feel are the most important tools for an educator to have in today’s classroom?
Communication is essential in today’s classroom. Of course, educators must be strong in their communication of content, but with modern students it is ever more important to communicate clear expectations and feedback.
I also feel building interactive lessons is essential for the modern classroom. External factors such as COVID and technology use have shortened the modern student’s ability to withstand traditional lectures. I feel that part of our responsibility as instructors is to build active classrooms where students can spend more time engaging with material instead of passively receiving information.