Stepan Mekhitarian, TAC '06, High School Mathematics

Facts:

Before making the transition to teaching, Stepan worked at Deloitte, a major multinational accounting firm. Family monetary pressures influenced his decision to initially work in tax accounting. After fleeing Lebanon because of civil war, his parents immigrated to the United States and struggled financially for many years. Stepan made it his goal to ease his parent's plight. He worked hard in school, graduated from UCLA in slightly less than two years, and started his accounting career. His family's situation improved, but there was something terribly unrewarding about working daily to help corporations avoid taxes. He yearned to take a more active role in the community. "I retraced my steps to see which aspects of my life gave me a true sense of purpose and found a flash in my memories of children I tutored during college. Seeing their faces light up when a math concept finally made sense was more satisfying than anything at my accounting job. The experiences helped me realize that as a teacher, I will be able to touch many more children's lives."

"I strongly believe that school teaches students more than just English, math, history, and science. School influences a child's aspirations, motivations, and general outlook on life. It teaches students how to think in a logical and organized manner, which I find to be the most critical aspect of an education."

"I've learned that good teaching involves an incredibly high level of planning and thought; you cannot make it up as you go along. However, I've also discovered that teaching is so fulfilling and fun I catch myself doing the extras to make better lesson plans without much effort. Teaching is a profession where the reward for going the extra step can be found in the classroom every day."

Inside Scoop:

"I've been surprised by the incredible diversity of my cohort's background and students' eagerness to contribute their ideas and talents to improve teaching as a whole. I feel a sense of collaboration I did not experience as an undergraduate business major. I see teamwork in coming up with new solutions for teaching challenges instead of competition among students."

"This February, the program arranged for us to spend a week in New Orleans helping schools that had been devastated by the hurricane and learning about education in Louisiana. The experience was educational, inspiring and quite honestly, very fun. The trip strengthened our bonds as a cohort and provided opportunities for insights on education from administrators, principals, and even the mayor of New Orleans. It was a truly memorable experience!"

Stepan Mekhitarian"The Cambridge-Harvard Summer Academy can seem extremely challenging at first, especially if it is your first time teaching. The fact that this first teaching experience is at a summer school with restless teenagers may also seem daunting. However, there is plenty of support and guidance along the way and before the summer is over, you'll be wishing you had the kids again as your students in the fall."

"I'm from Los Angeles and Cambridge couldn't be more different. I love the city so much I am considering moving here after graduation. The neighborhoods have a wonderful historic feel, the squares nearby offer great nightlife (particularly Central Square), and people seem very friendly. As much as I enjoy driving, there is something special about wearing a jacket and walking around town instead. I also enjoy the snow -- perhaps because I have never experienced a true winter living in LA. Cambridge and Boston also demonstrate an interest in public education I have never seen before. They are truly academic cities. Whether to learn or teach, these cities are great places for education."