Community Member

Mar 13, 2025 5:31:00 AM

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If my life had a theme song, it would be an offbeat mix of Anchors Aweigh and Schoolhouse Rock. I’ve spent years in the U.S. Navy, mastering the art of precision—whether that meant putting warheads on foreheads or navigating complex military operations. I could calculate trajectory, velocity, and impact with pinpoint accuracy. But now? Now, I face my greatest challenge yet: teaching teenagers with the attention span of a TikTok video how to take first and second derivatives from a polynomial. Sure, I’ve got degrees aplenty and more certifications than a classified mission briefing—but none of them quite prepared me for explaining calculus to a room full of students who think "slope" is just something you ski down. So, I’ve been working on expanding my knowledge bank, trading in target acquisition for teaching strategies, missile trajectories for math equations, and battlefield tactics for classroom management. Speaking of battles, Mother Nature has decided that my workout regimen this winter consists solely of shoveling snow for the 100th time. So, while my students struggle with derivatives, I'll be outside struggling with yet another driveway full of snow, wondering if this counts as applied physics or just another reminder that I should have moved somewhere warmer.