Ben Jimenez

Professor

“I’d say to someone who’s considering going to college to try SMC first, because it’s got everything and more than what they need for a two-year education.”

This spring semester, Ben Jimenez is juggling a full docket of math classes: pre-algebra, beginning algebra, intermediate algebra, pre-calculus and calculus. And he loves it. “To me, the passion is more in the teaching of math than in the math itself,” he says. “There’s a challenge in making students understand the concepts that are involved in math.”

Ben came to SMC two years ago, hailing from Garfield High School, made famous by courageous and innovative educator Jaime Escalante, whose efforts at turning that school around were brought to the silver screen as the movie Stand and Deliver. “I’ve taught high school math for 16 years and I really wanted to come to SMC,” says Ben. “I think I needed a change of atmosphere. And it’s a super place to teach.”

Ben says that he’s very impressed with SMC in general and the math department in particular. “I always encourage my students to make use of the math lab. I think it’s a fantastic service to the students. They can get tutorial time all day, from 7 am to 10 pm.” He observes that students often feel intimidated by math and that patience is key to teaching them complex concepts.

“I see a lot of stress in the students at times, even when I’m making it as simple as I can,” says Ben, who’s currently experiencing first-hand the fears and pleasures of student life while pursuing a masters degree at Cal State Fullerton. But with five classes to teach at SMC, he can’t afford to go full-steam ahead with his own studies. “It should take me another two years at the pace I’m going,” he says. “Full time work and school is not really the ideal mixture.”

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