Growing up, my family moved a lot. I had four 4th grade teachers (and no, I didn't repeat the year.) Most of my math teachers, inspired by the Space Race, taught set-theory and efficient algorithms. But in 8th grade in New Jersey, Mr. Kelley gave me the algebra book so I could work at my own pace and build my own understanding. When I arrived in Bisbee, Arizona for high school, I was the only freshman in Geometry, my favorite class ever. Yup, I like math a lot!

My all-time favorite book is Have Space Suit—Will Travel by Robert Heinlein. It inspired me to go to MIT before I even knew it was in Massachusetts. So, it's no surprise that my first job was developing mechanisms on satellites. Later, I became interested in product design and spent most of my career developing medical electronics. I was part of the team that developed the AEDs (defibrillators) installed around Bainbridge Island.

My family has lived on Bainbridge Island for decades. After all my moving around, I guess I’ve finally found my favorite place to be. Our children completed the entire BISD program. And, their grandparents followed us here and were part of the community too.

I still feel like a new teacher with a lot to learn. I'll make a lot of mistakes. You might, too. Let's learn from our mistakes together.