TCS welcomes Farris Alfanik to the faculty to teach Geometry, Algebra II, Advanced Algebra II and Accounting.
After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in exercise science and sport studies from Rutgers University and his master’s in biomedical science from Rowan University, Mr. Alfanik ran his own health and fitness center. During that time, he began helping his two sisters through advanced math courses in college, which he thoroughly enjoyed. That experience and his natural affinity for math, led him to take a part-time job tutoring high school students. He soon discovered that the students he worked with began achieving success and were enjoying math. Mr. Alfanik quickly became a favorite among the students and their parents. Realizing that not only did he love math, but that he also had a gift for teaching it, Mr. Alfanik decided to consider teaching as a profession.
While attending a Bible study this summer, he heard about the open position for a high school math teacher at Timothy. He loved the idea of being able to teach math while also sharing his faith. “I cannot thank the person enough who told me about the position,” says Alfanik. “I am so happy to be here!”
Integrating Faith and Learning
TCS offers the opportunity to connect with and mentor students inside and outside the classroom. Mr. Alfanik takes advantage of both. He is often found having lunch with some of his students where he enjoys listening to what is going on in their lives and offering advice from a spiritual perspective. Mr. Alfanik says that he prays every day that the kids would connect with God on a personal level, and that they would build a stronger relationship with Him. “This is something I would have loved as a kid, someone outside my parent/authority circle, who could have mentored and helped me to have a better relationship with God.”
Preparing his students for life beyond TCS
On the first day of school, Mr. Alfanik asked his students to answer two questions: 1. What subjects do you enjoy the most? 2. Which subjects are you best at? When asked why he did this, Alfanik explained…
“These questions help them think about the difference between following your passions versus using your strengths. You may love something, but it may not be your strongest suit. I want to make sure they really think critically about that when planning for college and their future career. I want them to know that decisions can change upon entering college and they might opt for one major but switch to another midway; in fact, a lot of students do that. But in that process, I want them not to forget about the gifts and talents God has given them and decide based on that, as opposed to totally relying only on their passions.”
We are delighted to have Mr. Alfanik teaching our students math as well as helping them to discover the gifts and talents God has given them and encouraging them to pursue God’s plans for them.