Jarrett Freels
Math Teacher
Growing up in small town Wisconsin, I left my middle school every day to take math courses at the high school. As a result, I quickly became the go-to guy for family friends who needed help with homework (usually math), and I loved it! Once I got to high school, I realized I could pursue an after-school job at a local learning center. There, I tutored elementary and middle school students. I was thrilled to see them progress academically over the year, and loved getting to spend one-on-one time with students to better understand what specifically they were struggling with in class.
I knew helping others was my passion, so I began the route to medical school via a degree in physics at the University of Wisconsin. Along the way I learned how much I enjoyed math as a tool to pursue other subjects, and that I’d rather be directly studying people. With that in mind, I headed off to the economics department where I found myself enthralled with studying society, interactions between individuals, and how to quantify it all.
After spending my whole life in the Midwest, New York City called with a job in economics research in the world of litigation at NERA Economic Consulting. I got to apply my math skills yet again, this time quantifying magnitudes of damages, and learned about some of the many industries that help keep the world spinning. Throughout this time, I yearned to work again with students, to help them realize their academic potential, and to encourage them to find work that’s meaningful to them. In my last year in New York, I mentored a high school student in my neighborhood, helping him fulfill his dream of getting into college and moving out of the city. All of this led to me knowing it was finally time to turn to teaching others full-time.
When the default is being one of many in a classroom, one-on-one learning is a unique opportunity to dive even deeper into the material at hand, and to ensure a true understanding of the content. I’ve always found that identifying what the student needs to thrive is the best way to approach helping them because no two people are the same. My experience working with a wide variety of students has aided me in teaching in the past and helps me know that all students have the means to succeed; they may just need a little help on the way. I’m excited to help students see the beauty and applications of math, to convince them that “finding x” is worthwhile, and to see what they do with it once they understand it.
When I’m not tutoring, you can usually find me outside playing basketball, rock climbing, or hiking the beautiful landscapes all around us. On a rainy day, I stay busy by cooking and reading fantasy and sci-fi novels.