Even in sixth grade, now math teacher Gary Fox knew he wanted to teach.

“My dad always told me, ‘Figure out what you love doing more than anything else and try to make a living out of it,’” Fox said. “Even though I heard what he said, I never really listened to it — that is until I got older and began to realize the importance of his words. Once I did, I became a teacher, which is what I always wanted to do.”

Fox knew that he excelled in math and he fell in love with it. As a 12-year-old in Fort Lauderdale, Fox would spend hours after school doing advanced math and would take time out of his lunch to help math teachers with their classes. He was at the top of his class in eighth grade and a member of the National Honor Society. As he continued into high school, he remained one of the smartest kids around.

“When I was younger I was sort of a nerd and not socially adept,” Fox said. “We started learning the alphabet, and I wanted to learn it backwards. The other nerds were memorizing pi to 50 decimal places I chose to memorize e to 50 decimal places. Even in junior high, I used to make my own pocket protectors out of notebook paper by folding them and keeping in them an array of colorful pens.”

Being a strong student in math and science, Fox saw what society was expecting of him. He began to veer away from his teaching dreams and towards the career of a doctor or an engineer. His parents supported him either way, but because of his drive at a young age to be successful, he continued to push toward jobs that would give him a higher salary.

“It was just a societal thing and everyone else that was smart was doing that,” Fox said. “For young people, the amount of money you make decides whether or not you are successful, so their interests don’t have an effect on what they want to do. Because of that, even though I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I never thought it would be an option.”

After looking through college applications and throwing out all the ones that required a supplement essay, Fox got accepted into Georgia Tech, where he would major in Engineering Science and Mechanics for the next 10 quarters.

When he arrived at college, all of his surroundings and relationships began to change. He got too involved with the common college scene of drugs and alcohol and it affected his college experience. He broke out of his quiet shell and saw these influences as a path to becoming social. But when it finally came to a point where he began dropping classes, Fox realized that the penalties of his actions were going to change the course of his future.

“I think everything and everyone that you encounter in life influences you,” Fox said. “The bad choices you make and the consequences that come with it will consistently have an effect on who you become. And honestly, it’s not until you get away from your parents that you have to take the consequences on yourself; only then will your decisions become more personal.”

In order to escape the party scene, Fox knew that he had to make a change. So he packed his bags and headed West, where he decided to become a teacher and got his teaching degree and credential at Colorado College. After finally receiving his teaching credentials, Fox decided to move to California where he started working as a waiter and began his own tutoring business.

After one of Fox’s college friends, our very own Gil Garcia, told him about a possible teaching position at SMCHS, Fox chose to take the opportunity and became a long-term substitute teacher at the school. When the time came, he was offered a full-time job at SMCHS and he gladly took it.

Now after 20 years of teaching at SMCHS, Fox continues to do what he loves.

“I’m known as a workaholic, but I always know that by the end of the year I’ll be fine,” Fox said. “Every day I can go home to my wife who will give me a hug and kiss and that’s what’s important. Teaching’s what I do, it’s what I am, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do and now I’m here and happy about it.”

Fox has his own customary style of educating. Each day, he reads various stories to his classes about morality, which he calls “shares”. These shares usually have to do with keeping a strong character in times of trouble or need, which is the lesson that all of Fox’s classes learn, no matter what level math they’re in.

“Whenever the problem of cheating comes up or any questioning of a student’s moral character, I tell them to envision the type of father or mother they want to be,” Fox said. “I want them to envision if they want to be honorable and set that example, see the type of person they want to be in all aspects and start practicing that today, because it’s the practice that makes it easy.”

After years of wandering, Fox found himself and makes a living by doing something he loves. Overcoming the difficulties and leading a life that all of his students can respect, Fox stuck with his passion and achieved what he knew he was called to do. He continues to prove that when you finally work through it all, you will find the answer to the problem.

“There are some students who are on a straight path right now, but will end up veering down the same path I did,” Fox said. “I want them to know that just because things don’t turn out as planned doesn’t mean you can’t become productive and live a wonderful life. You have to get out of those things, but don’t give up on yourself — never do that.”