I have been fascinated with math and science since 1965.  That is when I became more aware of the space race. The Apollo missions and Star Trek inspired me to want to know and understand how the universe worked. I can remember watching the broadcasts of the Apollo launches. Those moments truly awakened and ignited my imagination and curiosity. The space race made me realize how important and powerful math and science is to the world.

In addition to what I just stated, when my father got me hooked to watching Star Trek, that is when I knew that I wanted to be a mathematician.  Star Trek demonstrated how math and science could be used to make new discoveries that solved vital problems of life.

My passion for math and science was further stimulated when I joined the Apollo Space Club that was sponsored by NASA.  Every month I received a model of a spacecraft that I had to put together.  Grade level mathematical science books accompanied each set. When my parents saw my fascination, they supplemented what the Apollo Space Club was sending me. They bought me additional model building kits that were related to math and science.  Those kits increased my interest in math and science as well.

During my grammar school years, my teachers always had us doing projects that made math and science come alive.  For example, we had to read the newspapers and write reports from what we read and use pictures from the newspaper to create “Show and Tell” reports for class about the Apollo missions.

Those experiences motivated me to put tremendous effort into becoming good in math. 

I started tutoring others during my sophomore year of high school.  My classmates recognized that I was very good in algebra and geometry and as a result of that they would always seek me out for help.

Math competition in my high school was fierce.  I accepted the challenge because I wanted to be able to compete with any math student from anywhere on the planet.

From my sophomore year to my senior year I elected to take advance math classes during the summer at high schools that offered the courses.

During my senior year in high school, I was taking college level calculus.

As I entered my senior year of high school, one of my math teachers knew that I loved teaching and tutoring math. He was able to get permission to allow me to teach one of his 8^th period algebra classes under his supervision.

That experience confirmed to me that I was meant to be a math teacher and that I truly loved teaching and interacting with others.  I continued to learn how to recognize that everyone has different learning styles and I learned how to adjust my instructional approach to match the learning styles of the students.

As a result of my algebra teacher sharing his teaching insights and experiences with me, I developed more of a love and passion for teaching math.

I had a sense of fulfillment when I was able to help the students overcome their problem solving and analysis roadblocks.

I tutored basic math to calculus during my undergraduate and graduate studies.

As a result of maintaining a 4.0 during my first year of graduate studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (N.J.I.T.), I was awarded an academic scholarship and I was paid to teach undergraduate engineering math.

Upon entering the Air Force as a second lieutenant, I taught math for Air Force Space and Missile System’s Officer Candidate Educational Program.  I also tutored math off base when time permitted me to do so.

After active duty in 1992, I became a certified math teacher in 1993 in the state of New Jersey.  I have been an active teacher since that time.

I presently teach advance math at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, NJ.

I use differentiated tutoring approaches that match the learning styles of my students and I offer diagnostic testing and a supplemental private video instructional site that enhances and increases the conceptual understanding and retention of my students.