Laughter drifts across the classroom as Mason Jessee pauses mid-lesson to slip into an impression or crack a quick “dad joke,” reflecting how the new statistics and personal finance teacher uses humor to make intimidating math feel more approachable, so even students who fear math find themselves leaning in. 

Jessee began teaching at the school three weeks ago because the math department “needed a teacher” and has come to appreciate his students’ positive attitudes.

“Everyone seems to really care,” Jessee said. “I can tell a lot of the students are on track to go to college or have college in mind, which isn’t the case at a lot of other high schools I’ve worked at. At Torrey Pines I can feel the sense of students wanting to understand my class because they want to better themselves and better their lives.”

Jessee said he “struggled in high school a lot” and “basically dropped out junior year.”

“Back in the day, I think they brought it back, they had a thing that you could do where you could test early to go into college,” Jessee said. “So as a junior, I tested out to go straight into college … at 16. [College] wasn’t really for me. So I started doing labor instead. I would build fences and do lots of hard work for around five or six years.”

After a “terrible shoulder injury” while rock climbing, Jessee returned to college, where he fell in love with math.

He attended San Diego City College for two years before transferring to the University of California San Diego where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics. Shortly after graduating, he completed a program at San Diego State University to earn his teaching credential. 

In Jessee’s first math class at San Diego City College, his attitude towards the subject shifted. 

“I kinda always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I had a professor who was just so excited to teach math and get people to engage in the class,” Jessee said. “When I was with her I felt that math is actually really fun. That’s why it felt like a game to me. I love games, so once I realized that math is kind of a game, it changed my perspective on it away from this very scary thing that you have to be really smart to do.”

Jessee’s decision to go into education ultimately came down to a few factors including that he enjoys, “to perform a talk in front of people.”

“Since math is like a game to me I love anything that I can lock in on it and do that is fun,” Jessee said. “I also like having summers off. There’s also benefits such as a strong retirement plan. Plus, I don’t have to do labor, and instead I get to use my brain.” 

While personal finance and statistics previously were not Jesse’s favorite mathematical areas, he finds new ways to appreciate them.

“I’ve found a newfound appreciation for statistics and a love for it because it is very interesting to think about how we do data and sample stuff,” Jessee said. “…Typically, I love modern algebra and theoretical stuff.”

Outside of teaching, Jessee enjoys gaming with his daughter, especially when it comes to his favorite “classics,” including Call of Duty, RuneScape and Overwatch.

“I met my wife on Overwatch,” Jessee said. “I was ranked 50 in America for years back in the day. Gaming is a big part of my family. My 7-year-old daughter plays games too and she’s really good since she has been playing since she was three.”

Jessee also trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu throughout the week and attends a parent-and-kids class with his daughter on Saturdays at Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu. He describes it as “involuntary yoga,” and he believes the sport allows him to explore his competitive side. 

“You go and fight these guys that are so good, and you notice, you’re getting slammed all the time and smashed constantly,” Jessee said. “But then you’ll have moments where you do something really good, and it’s part of that struggle and that journey to getting better that I love so much. I enjoy climbing the ladder and improving myself.”

In the classroom Jessee aims to create an atmosphere of “you’re with a bunch of friends learning math … having that feeling like you’re all in this together.”

“When I was in college and got into high level math, it [could] be really scary,” Jessee said. “I like to have people engaged to the best of their ability, and that comes with working with each other.”

Jessee wants to avoid students feeling like his math classes are mundane or difficult by encouraging creativity and providing support when needed.

“Mathematics is a game when you know the rules, and yes you’re going to struggle, but you can get there eventually,” Jessee said.