Meet Mayumi Otsuki-Rowan ’18, Chair of the GSAA Annual Fund Committee

What drives you to contribute to the GS community?

It’s how much I learned and what it did for my life. It’s funny that I went in thinking I was going to make a lot of money in finance. But I realized in the end, partly from what I got out of my GS education, how much education means for future generations. Growing up, I never would have known that today I would be a high school math teacher. But that’s why I am in San Diego. And I still get finance in the mix, teaching a personal finance class at the school. I started here as part of Teach for America. After two years, I stayed on.

What has been the most rewarding General Studies Alumni Association (GSAA) project with which you have been involved?

I love being a part of the committee for the Annual Fund. I started out as a member of the committee, and now I’m in the chair position. It can be challenging, because everyone loves GS, but it’s not always easy to convince people to give. But if you enjoy talking to people, you don’t get discouraged and you keep reaching out.

What is your favorite GS memory?

It’s not one memory but the amount of caring that the School showed. They want to turn out people who will do well for themselves, but they also want to turn out good people who care.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

Helping students achieve their potential. When I was in GS, I thought of all the kids who are so smart and just not getting the opportunities they deserve. It’s about getting a fair chance. I enjoy teaching math because it’s not an easy subject for many, and if I can make it easier for them to understand, then it can help them. Now teaching personal finance, I have a chance to give students knowledge that can help them navigate the real world. You just want to see them do well. I even brought in a veteran who went to GS to talk about their experience, and I am going to try and bring someone in from the area of finance who went to GS for my personal finance class. GS has a terrific network.

What is the biggest challenge in teaching?

Sometimes it can be figuring out where problems are. A couple of years ago, when the pandemic hit, I noticed that my students didn’t have the computer skills they needed, and I started thinking about how difficult that can be for them. I’ve now been teaching computer science for three years, and it feels good to help with the problem.