Math teacher Tori Rodriguez joined Westminster’s Middle School faculty this fall, bringing her passion for long-distance running and making math engaging for eighth and sixth graders. 

Rodriguez grew up on the campus of the University of Georgia, where she was exposed to student life and other aspects of education. She began her teaching career at Berkmar Middle School in Gwinnett Country.

Rodriguez goes to church every week, where she met Drama and Dance Teacher Caroline Stewart. Stewart intrigued Rodriguez about Westminster. Rodriguez researched Westminster and, impressed, decided to apply.

The interview process was very long. Rodriguez interviewed with people such as Head of Middle School Leslie Ann Little, Assistant Head of Middle School Vielka Reina, and Dean of Faculty Thad Persons. Little asked Rodriguez, “Why this age? Why Middle School?” Rodriguez credits her eighth grade math teacher Ms. Alton as a major influence. “She encouraged me and made math really fun for me,” she says. Rodriguez also feels this age is very important because everyone is going through a lot of changes and discovering who they are.

Rodriguez felt overwhelmed but positive about the transition. “I felt like a mermaid thriving underwater,” she says. Though the adjustment has been intense, she is embracing the challenge. She loves the campus, the faculty, and the students, which has made the change completely worth it. 

Rodriguez has been particularly impressed by the parent engagement. She says that she was used to there being fewer parents that were involved in their kids’ school lives. But at Westminster’s Parents Night, she saw that there were many more parents in the classroom. She loves that the parents are so interested with what their kids are doing in school.  

Other than teaching math, Rodriguez enjoys running. When she was in school, she wasn’t even allowed to run in PE due to doctor’s orders. In 2018 she started running for fun, and she got into long distance running. She started doing 5 Ks and 10 Ks. 

During a casual lunch conversation, Rodriguez overheard colleague Ted Sadtler talking about coaching his cross country team, which immediately caught her attention. And, though she hadn’t planned to, she is now coaching the cross country team and has worked up to running marathons on her own. She says she loves getting to see her students outside of the classroom and be seen less as a teacher and more as a friend.