Mrs. Karin McWhorter’s passion for math stems from when she was younger. “I always took comfort in math because there is an answer, and you can know if your answer is right, she explains.

She has worked at MSMS for three years, teaching six classes at MSMS and one online class. This semester, she teaches Calculus 1, Foundations, Trigonometry and Algebra 1 as the online class. Next semester, she will also be teaching Discrete Math, Calculus 2 and Calculus 3.

Her favorite maths are calculus and algebra, because of how applicable they can be to real life situations.

Upon high school graduation, Mrs. McWhorter joined the Air Force with the goal of becoming a fighter pilot; however, while getting a physical right before her graduation, she discovered she had a collapsed vertebra and therefore could not fly.

She did stay active in the Air Force, however, and has been for 18 years, working in public relations and human relations. Now, she works in admissions for the Air Force Academy. She became a lieutenant colonel in September and plans on retiring from the Air Force in two years.

Mrs. McWhorter said her advice to students would be, “Don’t close any doors. Leave your options open.” She believes that when “you stay completely focused on a singular goal, you miss out on any other opportunities that may be open to you; things will happen and goals may change, so it is always best to keep yourself open to new ideas and to not close yourself off from other possible experiences.”

Though she originally wanted to be a fighter pilot, Mrs. McWhorter said she loves teaching. She appreciates the fact that at MSMS, teachers teach more than just their designated subjects, “They’re teaching lots of other things, like tenacity… when things get hard, that just means work harder.”

The math instructor also loves it when she is able to see or help a student reach that “aha!” moment when they might be struggling in class. In fact, she believes that that is one of the most gratifying things about teaching.

Mrs. McWhorter takes great pride in knowing that she is helping to shape the minds of the next generation, and that even if her students don’t remember her, they will remember something they learned in her class, whether it’s an obscure formula or how to push through something that may not be giving you the easiest time.

Though she loves teaching here, Mrs. McWhorter is leaving MSMS after this year and moving to Colorado to be closer to her family.