How long have you been a member of Olivet?
31 years … If I remember correctly, I joined while in the 7th grade, just before Easter.

What is your fondest memory about Olivet?
Senior High Youth Retreats with Al & Rita Curtius. We played around a lot, but we always learned something too.

What are your hobbies?
I love to travel, see and experience new things. I also am a big fan of eating out, especially ethnic cuisines, and beer. I used to collect comic books – but don’t have time to read them anymore, so I stopped.

How long have you been a teacher at Interboro?
12 years now

What do you find most rewarding about your career?
The “AHA” moments, when somebody who doesn’t understand something finally gets it.

What do you find the most challenging about you career?
Motivating kids who have always struggled or even been told they are bad at math. Crush a kid’s spirit and it is hard to put it back together.

Why did you choose mathematics as your filed of expertise, as opposed to other subjects like history or English for example?
I like Math because it is clear cut, very black and white, not subject to a lot of interpretation. Ask an American, a German, a Brit, a Russian and a Japanese person what World War 2 is all about and you will get vastly different answers. Give them all a math problem, and if they do it right, you will get the exact same answer from all of them.

Do you have any favorite TV shows, movies, or books?
I watch The Amazing Race (because of its travel aspect) and HEROES. I am also a big fan of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.

If you could meet any person past or present who would it be?
At the risk of being overly sentimental … my Grandparents. They lived very far away when I was grwoing up and all died without my really getting to know them very well. My parents tell anecdotes about them from time to time – but I wish I got to know them myself.

If you could travel to any destination where would that be and why?
I have a few places I really want to go, but currently I have a huge interest in Asia. I would love to go to China and walk on The Great Wall, have a meal in Hong Kong and see the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian.

If you had the power to shape the future of Olivet, what are a few of the things you would most like to see?
I am looking forward to the arrival of our new Pastor and hope that his/her arrival brings a period of stability and renewal to Olivet. I would love to see more new faces in the pews and the return of some old friends, a continuation of our commitment to Youth and a growth in faith among all our members. It is inevitable that in the years to come we will lose many of the pillars of the church and I hope that there will be others ready to step up and take over their work.