From Struggling College Student to Algebra Educator

 

Most people assume that someone with a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics was always good at math.

 

I wasn't.

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In fact, my college journey started with more failure than success. I first enrolled at San Diego City College in 2002. Like many students, I wasn't sure what I wanted, lacked direction, and eventually walked away. I tried again in 2004, only to find myself right back where I started.

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For years, college became something I would start, stop, and promise myself I'd return to "someday."

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Then someday finally arrived. In 2012, I made the decision to stop treating education like a backup plan and commit to finishing what I started. What happened next changed the course of my life. Somewhere along the way, a mathematics professor challenged me to think differently about what I was capable of as a scholar, not just a student.

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For the first time, algebra wasn't just another class I had to survive. It became a puzzle, a language, and eventually a passion. What started as curiosity quickly became obsession. I spent years studying mathematics, earning Associate Degrees from San Diego City College before transferring to San Diego State University, where I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. But earning the degree wasn't the most important lesson.

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The most important lesson was discovering how many intelligent students believe they're "bad at math." After spending more than a decade teaching and supporting students at both the community college and university levels, I saw the same story play out again and again.

 

Students weren't failing because they lacked intelligence. They were failing because they were overwhelmed by math. They were frustrated. They were embarrassed to ask questions. And somewhere along the way, they had convinced themselves they simply weren't math people. I've been around enough students to know that's just not true.

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Most students don't need more pressure or another boring math lecture...

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They need someone who can explain the material in a way that finally makes sense to them. That's why I focus on Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Pre-Algebra, and College Algebra today. Not because algebra is easy. Because algebra is often the class that convinces students they're either capable or incapable of succeeding in mathematics.

 

I know what it's like to struggle.

I know what it's like to start over, multiple times.

And, I know what it feels like when a difficult concept finally clicks.

 

My goal is simple:

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help students build confidence, develop real understanding, and realize they're capable of far more than they think. Because mathematics isn't about smarts, its about confidence and "the rules", and learning how to approach each problem.