MELE SATO
Mathematics and Physics Teacher
High Tech High Media Arts
San Diego, California

When Mele Sato was still in high school, she volunteered as a math and physics tutor, assisted an algebra class, and took a course in math teacher training. After graduation, she attended Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, where she especially enjoyed the learning community. “The professors I had were outstanding. They loved sharing with us and learning from us as we embarked on research projects together.”

Before coming to math, Mele had first been captivated by physics and astronomy. While going to school in her home town of Honolulu, Hawaii, she had set her sights on working someday at the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea. “This changed in my junior and senior years when I realized that math rocks. It explains all the awesome things about physics and astronomy.”

After graduating from Harvey Mudd with a bachelor’s in math and a concentration in music, Mele taught in Southeast Los Angeles. Her interest in autism and special education then took her to the Kayne Eras Center in West Los Angeles, where she taught algebra and geometry. “The relationships I built with my students and the lessons I learned from them truly reinforced my dreams of teaching.”

Mele attended the University of California at Santa Barbara for her master’s in education and credential program. She has been teaching at the High Tech High Media Arts since 2008.