Kenneth Bixgorin

MAS 4300
Professor Lebovitz
Fall, 2016
Assignment: how you got to this point and why you are pursuing a career in

math education
------------------------------------------After teaching photography in the US Air Force during WWII, my father, Jack
Bixgorin, attended Hunter College, on the GI Bill, and received a Bachelor of Arts in

mathematics.

He taught mathematics in high school before going to work in the food industry. One
of the positions he held was marketing manager for Nathan's Famous. Another
position he held was at Howard Johnson's, where he met chef Jacques Pepin, who in
his autobiography, describes his being tutored in math by my father.

As a child/teen, I came across my Dad's college books that he had saved. I could ask
him about his little book on Galois, for example. Also, if I had a problem in high

school math, I could always ask him about a trigonometry or analytical geometry
question. I did take the MAA contest in high school and did compete on the high
school math team.
On the other hand, a first cousin, showed me some of his science projects he had
created - he had joined Phi Beta Kappa at City University of New York and went on
to med school at University of Pennsylvania before working for NIH.
When it was my turn to choose college majors, I chose science, receiving the
Science Department Honors award along with an AA degree at Broward Community
College, and a BA in chemistry, a BA in physics, and a BS in biology (microbiology
emphasis) from Florida Atlantic University. (While in attendance at FAU, I was
allowed to sit in on several math courses, including Stephen Locke's discrete math,
Professor Richman's modern algebra, and many others.) I took the medical
admission test, did well, but realized I didn't have the money to travel to interviews.
I enrolled in the master's program in physics at Florida International University, and
taught about a dozen laboratory classes . When it was time to choose a thesis
adviser, I chose the one with a theoretical biophysics research area., but I got ill and
never went further, leaving myself as having completed all but the thesis.
I came back to BC and completed AAS degrees in electrical engineering technology,
in engineering and scientific computer programming, and in biomedical technology.
During this time, Karen Horner and Hank Martel allowed me to teach pre-algebra
and beginning algebra courses. I also worked as an assistant to Christie Heinrich in
a computer-based algebra program and as a tutor under Janet Hartnett in North
Campus's math lab, including aiding Martin Peres's calculus students, despite my
limited knowledge of Maple software.
In the meantime, I took the introductory education courses at BC and worked for a
quarter-year at Pembroke Pines Charter, teaching chemistry and physics and for a
month at Everglades High School in Miramar, teaching geometry. I found myself
falling short in class management skills, and gave up the positions. I worked for
years as a substitute teacher in Broward County schools, and trained, receiving a
Gifted endorsement, and passed FDOE's Math 6-12 FTCE exam, a route to
alternative certification.
On the off chance that I may go back to do some teaching, I enrolled in Professor
Kunz's history of math class. I always intended to take your class, but I liked playing
some small concerts on guitar and bass on those Friday afternoons, and so I put off
taking this class -- not to mention the fear factor, but I decided to bite the bullet and
enroll.

I mostly study at Central Campus, studying visual and performing arts (music,
theater, and film). This is my 20th semester in BC's chorus. Currently, and for a
couple of years, I have been studying environmental science.
On the personal side, I have never married but do have a girlfriend, whom I met at
BCC (29 years ago). She was working in the math lab at North Campus -- we have
been dating ever since I enrolled at FAU. She got her BA in math. (I made her take
the Putnam exam. ) She then received her MA in psychology (psychobiology
emphasis). She's now studying in the PhD program in Creative Writing (poetry
emphasis) at the University of Southern Mississippi.
-- Ken B.