MSMS’s new mathematics instructor wants his students to learn more than just how to use mathematical concepts and equations. Kishan Patel wants his students to understand that math is much more than what they see in the classroom.

“I want my students to see the connection between the classroom and real life – what they’ll see after MSMS,” he said. “I hope that my students learn to understand the value of math, and I hope that the students who hate math will come away with less hatred.”

Mr. Patel is teaching Trigonometry, Foundations of Higher Math, AP Calculus II, and Math Lab. A graduate of Mississippi State University, Mr. Patel received a Bachelor of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and in Mathematics, and a Master of Science degree in Mathematics.

His focus has not always been on a career in education. While in an internship at an engineering program, he realized that engineering was not as fulfilling as he thought it would be. After earning his undergraduate degrees, Mr. Patel began graduate school with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Curriculum and Instruction. During this time period, he was a graduate teaching assistant, where he would help teach classes at MSU.

“I was reflecting a lot on what I was good at, where my skills were, and what gave me joy,” he said. “I realized that the different points in my life in which I was tutoring a classmate or tutoring one of my friends, were times where I just really felt alive.”

Mr. Patel is excited to be apart of the MSMS family, but he had to overcome some nervousness to get to MSMS.

“I was definitely nervous about joining the best high school faculty in the state of Mississippi because I’m fresh out of college and don’t have a lot of experience in terms of numbers of years of teaching,” he said. “I was really intimidated with joining this faculty because they’re all phenomenal, awesome teachers.”

Brand new to the MSMS family, Mr. Patel is excited for what’s to come.

“I’m really thankful that I’m here and I’m looking forward to seeing how the years progress,” he said.