TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST: No career path doubts for Monroe High math teacher Torre’ Mills

ALBANY — For Monroe High School geometry and statistics teacher Torre’ Mills, there was never any question in his mind that he would one day be a teacher.

“For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher. I can remember of fantasies of being a math professor when I was seven or eight.” Mills, one of eight finalists for Dougherty County’s 2017-18 Teacher of the Year, said. “There are a number of factors that influenced me.

“Foremost, my father’s five siblings were math educators in various public school systems. with only one sister forging a different path as a cosmetologist. My father was also a very gifted mathematician. But there was never any pressure put on me to become an educator. Teaching just felt right for me.”

After graduating from high school, Mills obtained a bachelor of science in math from the University of Georgia before earning a master of education in secondary math education from Albany State University two years ago.

“Several factors converged to change my pursuit from a professoriate in higher education to high school teaching,” Mills said. “Heading the list was I did not like the apparent solitary life of a college professor. All of my math professors had very small offices, lots of books and rarely interacted with other people. This lack of engagement did not fit my gregarious personality.”

“I loved the mathematics, but found it more thrilling to tutor my peers who were struggling with Calculus I or Pre-Calculus.”

The major factor, however, in Mills’ change of career path occurred during his freshman year at UGA.

“My mother suffered a major heart attack and had other ongoing challenges,” Mill said. “As the only child to my parents, I had to seriously consider a profession that would bring me back home.

“High school teaching in rural Georgia was a viable solution. It allowed me to use my gift and love of numbers, and fulfill my natural tendency to help others.”

The 2017-18 Teacher of the Year Dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn on Front Street. The system also will recognize its retiring educators at the event.

In addition to Mills, the other finalists are Jacqueline Floyd, Westover High School; Jasamine Dixon, Albany Middle School; Chevonne Denson, Dougherty High School;Rebecca Strickland, Lake Park Elementary School; Jordan Waller, Martin Luther King Elementary School; Shane Williams, Lincoln Magnet School, and Lydia Zuern, Sherwood Acres Elementary School.