“Truth fears no question.” This is just one of the many quotes Dr. Santiago Camacho has written on his whiteboard, a practice he keeps up with every morning. Originally from Colombia, Dr. Camacho first moved to Champaign, Illinois for graduate school, and came to San Diego just a couple of years ago. Now at Bishop’s, he is not only an Upper School Math Teacher but also coaches volleyball in the gym.
Q: Were you always interested in studying math growing up?
Not always. I’ve always known that I wanted to do something related to math but not necessarily mathematics itself. It was maybe junior year I realized that I could just study mathematics. Then, that’s when I was like, “oh yeah, why don’t I do that?”
Q: Is there anything specific that fascinates you about math?
At first, I liked solving problems, so that was a super fun thing. Then I realized there was more to it, and it was more of understanding hard stuff, or making sense of difficult problems. I really like that in math, some parts may seem very, very complicated, but if you break them down into smaller, more understandable parts, then you can eventually understand the whole picture.
Q: What made you choose to be a teacher specifically?
I really like sharing my love and my knowledge of mathematics. What I like to do is help people kind of achieve their potential. And so, I feel that teaching is one of the ways in which I can do that.
Q: Outside of school do you have any interests or hobbies?
I love volleyball. I played volleyball when I was a young kid. And obviously I love spending time with my family, I love playing around with my little boy. Those are the main things that I do outside of school.
Q: You mentioned in class before that you went to school in Illinois. Do you like San Diego or Illinois better and why?
There’s some things that are better in one or the other. I guess it’s fun to have seasons, which you don’t get in San Diego. Here, you get a rainy season, sometimes it’s cold and sometimes a little warmer, but not really as much as the contrast between snow and summer. There’s also spring, which you actually have in Illinois. I guess Chicago’s one of my favorite places in the whole world. It’s a beautiful, big city – super clean. It’s super cold in winter which I don’t like. Here, the climate doesn’t get cold, and I also have a lot of family here, like my in-laws. So that’s super helpful, especially with my son. And of course, you have the beach and a lot of different fun things to do here.
Q: You have quotes on the whiteboard which you change every day. Do you have a favorite quote?
Not really. It kind of changes, like my taste in movies or songs. I think of something that might be related to the things that we’re doing during the day, whether it’s during advisory or when I talk to my advisees about something that’s been bugging them or something that’s exciting them. Then I try to bring a quote that’s related to that.
Q: Has anyone ever given you a memorable piece of advice? What’s the best piece of advice anyone has ever given to you?
There’s a lot. One that jumps out right at me is one about loving the stuff that you do, because then work doesn’t feel like work. The way that I take it nowadays is more to find something that you love [within the things you have to do]. That way, it doesn’t necessarily feel like a chore.
Q: Is there anything else you wish to say about yourself?
I like to think of myself as a people person. I’m super competitive. I want to “win,” but I also know that part of growing up is learning how to fail and then being okay with it, but then challenging ourselves.
