I was fortunate to have been taught by several wonderful educators throughout the course of my schooling, but it is a very rare privilege to have a teacher whose impression continues to last more than a decade after graduation and of whom you speak proudly years down the line when relaying tales (mostly hilarious) to new friends and colleagues. Mr Luis (or John, as I now call him) was such a person, and I was fortunate to have him as both Maths teacher and Headmaster between 2004 and 2008.

His academic excellence was beyond question, and amongst our peers it was universally enviable to be in his Maths class. He had the ability to captivate our attention and foster an understanding that went beyond the prescribed curriculum, exploring further dimensions of the subject matter. He enamoured us with his unique charm, his playful wit and his lightning quick tongue, making every lesson something memorable.

Above all that, the positive impact made by Mr Luis on our school culture, which doubtless played a fundamental role during our formative years, was undeniable. We were treated with a level of dignity and respect not often afforded to teenagers at the time and, accordingly, we were inspired to rise to the occasion and assume higher levels of responsibility. All the while, Mr Luis maintained a personal interest in his students, being available and handling the nuanced conditions of young life with grace and wisdom. I cannot speak highly enough of my former Headmaster. 

As a student in grade 11, I was misunderstood by most of my teachers. This wasn't unusual for me because that's what I was used to throughout school.  My Grade 11 mathematics teacher instructed me to drop to standard grade because she believed I lacked the aptitude for mathematics. Towards the end of my Grade 11 year, I began extra classes with Mr Luis. I passed mathematics on higher grade and was fortunate to get him as a mathematics teacher in Grade 12.

Mr Luis took the time to understand how my mind worked and tailored his teaching to work with my brain to raise my overall average by more than 30 percent, that would mean that my final matric mark would have been at least thirty five percent higher than my grade 11 mark.  

But this isn't the most important part of this story, by teaching me how to understand my mind and how to unlock its potential, I was able to see the world differently. I have since completed my medical degree and specialise in aesthetic medicine, have completed an MBA and am currently designing and manufacturing my own airplane.

Mr. Luis was my mathematics teacher throughout my matriculation at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG). I entered OWLAG from amongst the most under-resourced primary schools of my admission class. This meant that I was both at a relative academic disadvantage while being newly inducted to the level of academic rigour of a private South African high school. With all the odds stacked against me, I graduated high school as one the top students in mathematics and valedictorian of my class, and Mr. Luis was undoubtedly paramount in my ability to achieve this feat.

Throughout my time at OWLAG, Mr. Luis was committed to excellence in education and had the unshakeable belief in any students’ ability to grasp mathematics given a teacher who is skilled at playing to their students’ strengths while cognisant of areas that pose a challenge for them. He embodied this commitment and belief through relentless and tireless help and support, going as far as giving up his weekday afternoons and Saturdays spending countless hours giving extra review classes and helping me and my class keep up with the increased pace in mathematics he introduced because he envisioned us performing at the level of some of South Africa’s best schools, despite our backgrounds.

Almost ten years later, and having graduated salutatorian of my undergraduate class pursuing a BS in Biology at Spelman College in Atlanta; earned a MSc in Medical Anthropology at the University of Oxford  in the UK and currently pursuing a medical degree at Stanford University in California, Mr. Luis remains one of the best teachers I have ever had. His  love for mathematics (and teaching) remains unmatched. He always finds innovative ways of teaching and making mathematics instinctive. I know I speak for many of my OWLAG peers when I say, he created an engaging and fun learning environment that made an infamously hard subject rather enjoyable. Whether it was to travel the world or be the next world’s best mathematicians, we always left his classes feeling incredibly inspired.