A great teacher can make a great difference in a student’s high school experience, acting as a mentor who fosters a love of learning and academic resilience. Math Teacher Eugene Hung has a profound impact on his students both in and outside of the classroom. Although he has taught at Mater Dei High School for only two academic school years, many students have developed a passion for and confidence in math that they did not have before taking his course. Beyond his academic support through office hours and test reviews, Hung encourages students to pursue STEM and develop confidence in their personal skills. 

Throughout high school, many students dread math class; due to a lack of preparation and limited STEM knowledge from middle school, many feel lost, discouraged, and unconfident in later years of education. Hung hopes to rewrite this narrative, telling students that every individual can achieve greatness in math. Within class, Hung always makes sure to answer all questions, ensuring that his students understand the topics before moving on to new content. Furthermore, he understands that some students benefit from different teaching styles, so he uses other instructional methods and approaches to solving equations. 

“I’m on a mission to help students grow in their math confidence and in their enjoyment of it,” Hung said. “Going back to the beauty of mathematics, I really want to help students tap into what I think they all have, and that’s the ability to do math.”

Because some students enter high school with a negative perception of the subject, Hung employs unique teaching methods to hook his students’ attention and raise awareness of the beauty of mathematics. Through his interactive Instagram account, @multiverseofmathness, Hung captures math techniques and structures used in the real world, shows his Monarch pride, and shares his love of K-pop. Students truly enjoy understanding the relationship between math and the human world through his social media posts and in math class. 

“The Instagram account was [created] partly from enjoying being able to put things out there,” Hung said. “Part of my [Instagram is that] I am on a mission to help people grow in math confidence and enjoy math, and part of the enjoyment is helping people see what is in our lives that connects with mathematics, so it doesn’t feel as removed from us.”

In addition to his account, which was once reposted by Desmos (an advanced graphing calculator application), Hung also employs Math Journals to teach students the connection between math and the broader world. These warm-ups usually begin with a relevant video regarding groundbreaking, past developments in STEM. These lectures help students grasp the history of math that helped pave the way for current practices. Afterwards, Hung will use the video to formulate an open-ended question, helping students relate to math more deeply. Senior Lucille Heit, one of Hung’s former students, shares her appreciation for the math journals. 

“We had these warm-ups in class, and they’re [usually] related to math,” Heit said. “One day, we had to write poems that were all different types. When we were just reading our poems out loud, it was [really] funny.”

Hung developed a love for math from a young age and understands the impact a great teacher can have on a student. Following high school, he attended the University of Texas at Austin and later received a master’s in Theology through a seminary. His career path after graduation was not linear; Hung was a pastor at an evangelical church, worked in the nonprofit sector for women’s rights advocacy, and taught Enhanced Math 3, Honors Pre-Calculus, and ASB at Portola High School in Irvine for one year. 

“I appreciate teaching because I remember what it was like being exactly where you guys are sitting, and I remember good teachers helping me,” Hung said. “I’ve taught a big spectrum of students in terms of math ability, math confidence, background, [and] racial and ethnic diversity. I think that helps [my perspective] because there are a lot of different kinds of folks here at Mater Dei.”

Despite these key, defining experiences, Hung believes that being a father has shaped his perspective the most. Hung has two high-achieving daughters, and as a parent, he understands the stress of college admissions and schoolwork. From this personal understanding, Hung relates to his students and gives them extra time for assignments and relevant test reviews. When assigning homework and reinforcing topics taught in class, he provides the answer keys, allowing students to check their work and catch silly errors. Sophomore Madison Liu, one of Hung’s Honors Precalculus students, contributes her perspective on these answer sheets or ‘Peeles.’ 

“One of the things that I appreciate about Mr. Hung is that he provides the answer keys on homework assignments,” Liu said. “This is really helpful because after completing my homework, I can check my answers and see which questions I got wrong and which topics I probably need more help on. He also sometimes provides his work, so it can help me understand how he solved the problem if I don’t understand it.”

Hung hopes to communicate the importance of respecting others and the dignity of the human person. When accepting others and appreciating their gifts, he believes that the best and most efficient teamwork is possible. Employing this mentality in class, he encourages students to collaborate on math problems. Hung also hopes to encourage all students to pursue math and STEM at a higher level. From his time in nonprofits focused on women’s rights and as a father to two teenage girls, Hung advocates especially for girls in STEM and a more equitable society. 

“I hope students catch the importance that I place on every person’s value and every person’s worth, and that every person needs to be able to be unafraid to ask questions,” Hung said. “I really want the girls in my classes to feel empowered. That’s why I have all the posters of cool Women Mathematicians up [and] take extra delight in talking about Women’s History Month. I want the girls to know that I believe in them, and there’s nothing that they can’t do.”

Most importantly, Hung began teaching mathematics to share his love for the subject and its implications in the real world. Believing that math is a “gateway” to many opportunities, Hung encourages students to immerse themselves in the subject. In his classes, students can truly observe and appreciate Hung’s enthusiasm for math and for the life lessons he teaches. Unlike most teachers, Hung creates a nuanced connection among math, artistry, and broader life knowledge that contributes to the appealing and unique atmosphere of his classroom. 

“I enjoy teaching math partly because I feel like math is the gateway,” Hung said. “It’s the key to opening up a whole bunch of possibilities and opportunities for people. When students do better in math, they tend to open up higher-earning fields. It’s also because I think there’s an artistry and a beauty to it, too, that I think goes underappreciated.”