Over 3 years, I worked with students from some of the most disadvantaged communities teaching students of all abilities. My mathematics classes achieved record results over the 3 years I worked in the school. I then had a complete change of working environment, moving to teach in one of the top 10 IB schools in the world for results, in Hong Kong. I spent 4 years teaching some equally amazing but different students, where I would spend hours in classes discussing the minutiae of mathematical proofs. These higher-level students have gone on to study in some of the most prestigious universities around the world - I even managed to convince a few to study mathematics!
Outside of the world of mathematics, I have always enjoyed taking students to the Great Outdoors. I have been a leader for the Duke of Edinburgh Award leading hikes throughout the UK and Hong Kong. I have planned international trips that concentrate on wildlife conservation to Borneo, to learn about the plight of the orangutans, and to Vancouver Island, to kayak with orcas and humpback whales in the Johnstone strait.
As well as being a dedicated mathematician, I love travel, music and Arsenal. I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to travel the globe visiting over 75 counties. Some highlights of these travels have included: taking the long way home from Hong Kong using the trans-Siberian railway; spending time with the mountain gorillas in Uganda; walking around in the ancient Islamic city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan; sailing around the coast of deserted Filipino islands; and swimming in the Amazon river with pink dolphins and piranhas!
I play the guitar and have spent much of my time playing in bands. I have never made it big, but that has never made it any less fun being creative with a group of friends. Finally, I have been a long-suffering Arsenal fan. However, with Chicago’s plethora of sporting franchises, I’m sure I will be able to find another team to follow as well.
The British International School of Chicago, South Loop seems to be a brilliant community with multiculturalism at its core. The “Be Ambitious” statement encapsulates all the things that I think are important to me in education. Its tailor-made curricula to meet the needs of all students, combined with its small class sizes, allow for all students to achieve to the best of their ability. I am excited at the prospect of the school’s links to world leading educators such as Julliard and MIT, I’m sure the school will be an incredible place to work and a life changing place to be educated.