As a math teacher, ocean-enthusiast, and Taylor Swift fan, Ms. Dominique Voso is a perfect fit for Bishop’s. Ms. Voso recently moved to San Diego from the East Coast, where she has spent most of her life. Having grown up in a beachtown, Ms. Voso loves the ocean. Moving to San Diego has enabled her to stay close to the water, while enjoying some warmer weather. You can find her in her office in Wheeler-Bailey for math help or an interesting conversation.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in South Jersey in a suburb outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey, which is a beach town on the Jersey Shore. Growing up at the beach made me feel like I could never live too far from the ocean. I grew up a swimmer too, so I just love being in the water. That’s why I really like San Diego: another beach town, but the weather is better here.

Q:What are some of your hobbies and interests?

A: I’ve been a swimmer all my life. I started swimming when I was 4 years old and swam competitively for many years after that. I started doing some triathlons when I was in college and after I graduated, though I haven’t done one in a few years. I have recently taken up surfing and I like to cook and bake as well [as] read.

Q:What led you to become a teacher?

A: When I was in college, I actually studied bioengineering and I really thought that I was going to be an engineer; and then when I was in college I found that I gravitated towards a lot of opportunities where I got to tutor or teach younger kids, work with other people, and help them. I ended up doing a biotech internship the summer before my senior year, actually out here in San Diego, and I realized that I didn’t really love working in biotech, and I didn’t necessarily see a future for myself there. I knew that I really liked teaching, so I sort-of decided that I would try out that path, and it’s been really awesome. No regrets.

Q:What is your favorite class or subject to teach, math or computer science?

A: That’s a really tough question. It has [actually] always been my ideal job to teach both. I started out just teaching math, but I [also] really wanted to get to teach computer science. I think they’re very different subjects, but both [involve] a lot of problem solving. Math is cool because you see a lot of progress in students and you see a lot of students across a whole grade; versus computer science students are opting into it and really enthusiastic, and that’s a lot of fun. People will spend their free time coding whereas no one spends their free time doing pre-calc homework, so you kind of get two different vibes, but I like getting the mix of the two.

Q:What brought you to Bishop’s?

A: Well, when I came out here for that internship in college, even though I didn’t want to work in biotech after it, I still knew I really liked San Diego so it was always a place that I thought I wanted to move to. I was finishing up a couple of years in New York and felt like it was just the time for a change and, if I was ever going to move across the country, now would be the time, so that’s how I ended up here.

Q:What is your favorite part of San Diego so far?

A: My favorite so far is that it’s still summer even though it’s like the end of September, and I can still go to the beach everyday.

Q:What is your favorite Taylor Swift song?

A: Toughy. I am going to go with “All Too Well” -10 minute version.