Meet Mr. McNamara!

Aadhya Ramineni 19, Co-Editor-In-Chief

This year, CCD welcomes Mr. McNamara to the Upper School. “Mr. Mac”, as he prefers, has been teaching calculus, among other classes, for 10 years now. If you are in his class this year, then you know the joy for teaching and excitement he brings to every math class! Keep reading to find out Mr. Mac’s favorite concept in math, his hobbies, what he looks forward to at CCD and more!

Where were you born and where have you lived?

Although I was born in the suburbs of New York, I’ve lived in 7 other places: New Jersey, Cleveland, Pennsylvania, Columbus, Oxford (Ohio), Berlin and, of course, Cincinnati. But, if I had to call one place home it would be Cleveland since it’s where I grew up and lived the longest (from when I was 10 to 18 years old).

What are your favorite subjects? When did you know you wanted to teach math?

I believe that more than the subject it’s the teacher that makes the difference, however, I’ve always known I wanted to be a math teacher, so I stayed focused on math throughout high school and college.

Can you compare living in Cincinnati to living in Berlin?

People in Cincinnati are really friendly. It’s been a pleasure to have people whom I don’t teach introduce themselves to me. In Berlin the living space is much smaller. Also, most people use public transportation like the subway and buses, whereas in Cincinnati we use cars. The school I taught in was only a 4-minute walk from my house. At first, grocery shopping was difficult in Berlin since labels were different, but I got used to it and I picked up some German along the way.

What’s a specific concept in math that interests you?

Fractals are a concept in math that intrigue me. They are computer generated images which show the same shapes over and over again. Fractals exist in between dimensions.

What are your hobbies?

In my free time I enjoy being outdoors, biking, swimming and traveling. I also played soccer in high school.

What’s your advice or mantra?

Talent is overrated: just because you aren’t good at something doesn’t mean you can’t excel in it. Don’t always worry about the results.

What are you looking forward to at CCD?

I’m excited to be a part of the school community by attending football games and other school events. Also, do we have a Ski club? (If you’re interested let Mr. Mac know!)

Do you have any siblings?

 I have two siblings; My brother is moving to LA and my sister lives in DC.

Share a fun fact…

I often joke that “I exist because of the New York Yankees” because my parents met at a Yankees game.