Who is Joy Fuson? A mock interview:

Q:    How did you end up teaching math at Folsom Lake College?

A:    Well, it all started lots of years ago in Santa Cruz, CA.  After a pretty fabulous childhood, I ventured out into the wilds (ok, it felt like the wilds) of Davis and began the process of working toward my B.S. degree in Mathematics.  Having lived in California my entire life, I thought it might be an adventure to pursue my graduate studies somewhere different.  I moved to Portland, OR to attend PSU where I had the opportunity to both teach and study.  Shortly thereafter, I moved back to Sacramento to finish my graduate work at CSUS and completed my M.A. in mathematics there.  After graduating, I continued to teach at CSUS as well as at SCC, Sierra and Solano.  More than 10 years ago, I arrived at FLC.

Q:    Don't you think it's a little sick to like math?  You must not have any friends.

A:    Believe it or not, I've always loved numbers.  Yes, all the way back to the dot-to-dots I used to do, I got such a kick out of it when the dots were multiples of 3, 4, etc.  Then, when I realized that a holding penalty on the offensive line was just like the number negative ten, I was pretty hooked on math (yes, in case you might have inferred, I'm a pretty serious football nut).  As for the friends piece, you haven’t had a party until you've invited a bunch of math folks over.  It's really something to see...every May I host a Math BBQ for my students so you'll have a chance to witness it for yourself. It turns out that my sister is starting work on a master’s degree in Statistics so I think it’s fair to blame my parents for some oddity in the genes.

Q:    How about a couple of quick favorites?

A:     Ok

Q:    Dog or cat?

A:    Dog!  You'll see pictures of my 70-lb baby, Riley, below.

Q:    Steak or seafood?

A:     Steak...the rarer, the better. I’m a huge fan of Sutter Street Steakhouse. Yum.

Q:    Favorite sport?

A:    To watch, football (although baseball is really growing on me due, no doubt, to my husband’s influence).  To play, basketball.

Q:    Favorite Author?

A:    George MacDonald (and you have to tell me if any of you have ever read any of his books).

Q:    Food you detest the most?

A:    That's a tossup between raw tomatoes and fish.

Q:    I’m really bad at…..

A:    using chop sticks.

Q:    What are some things that really matter to you?

A:    I take personal responsibility very seriously.  I think one thing that bothers me more than most is people failing to take responsibility for the consequences of their choices.  Other things that I value very highly:  God, marriage, family, being a faithful friend and teaching well.

Q:    Are you really that big a sports fan?

A:    Blame it on my Dad…the answer is yes. I grew up watching the 49ers when they were awful and we watched every week anyway. Sometimes I’d get to go to games with him for special occasions and we even made a visit or two to training camp. Mom’s a huge Giants fan so the baseball influence comes from her and my husband. I was a horrible athlete as a kid so I guess I lived vicariously by watching the pros. Just so you know how bad it is, my husband proposed on the Jumbotron during the first quarter of a 49er’s / Broncos game many, many moons ago.

Q:    Favorite places you've ever visited?

A:    Prince Edward Island (Canada) would have to be right up there.  I’ve been twice and can’t wait to go back. I also love Lopez Island.  I once made a too quick visit to Scotland and I'd really like to go back there.

Q:    Who are some people that you admire?

A:    My mom and dad; Thomas Sowell; Dennis Stanton; Barbara Bidlingmaier (these last two were my math teachers long ago); my husband; my brother-in-law, Richard, veteran of a tour in Iraq; my sister (being an army wife is an amazingly hard job); and my husband.

Q:    What one thing should your students know about you?

A:    If you're willing to work hard, I will do everything in my power to help you learn.  Learning is hard work but for those who will set aside the time, I'm here to help.  I've held extra study sessions for groups of students, met with students one-on-one for extra help and answered email at odd hours to help students getting ready for tests.  I don't react very well, though, when students don't come to class or want to "get it" without working hard.

Q:   Has anything interesting happened in your life lately?

A:   This week, my oldest started kindergarten and my youngest will soon start preschool. Other than that, my niece, Madison, just turned 2. She’s just beautiful (see picture below – she’s the blond) and in April her little sister, Aubrey, was born. Being an auntie is almost as great as being a mom.

Q:  Read any good books lately?

A:    I really enjoyed The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus. I’m working my way through What’s so Amazing About Grace by Phillip Yancey and enjoying that, too.

Q:    What CDs are in your car right now?

A:    I'm a big Toby Mac fan so he’s usually in there. Recently we’ve fallen in love with the Go Fish Guys. The kids and I love to sing along.

Q:   What can students do to pass your class?

A: I think the first thing that comes to mind is to work hard and plan to put in a lot of time. Learning is not easy. If you’re willing to work, I’m more than happy to meet you halfway. Take advantage of your resources…we have free drop in tutoring in FL1-108 and there are many helpful websites. Take your studies seriously and ask for help when you need it.

Q:    How about if we end up with some excerpts from your Photo Album?

A:  Ok, here goes: