Warren Orloff: Samo's newest student

Max GumbelStaff WriterWarren Orloff is certainly not your typical Samo teacher, nor is he technically employed at Samo. You may find him in an Algebra II classroom, helping students with their logarithms, or maybe after school tutoring a struggling math student, all pro bono. But now, he is focusing on learning math rather than teaching it, pulling out his calculator and notebook to study the concepts of the new Calculus D/E course.Orloff started a serious mathematics career in college, where he majored in the subject at the University of Chicago. His passion continued to grow, and he soon became an actuary for insurance companies, using math to help the company form retirement plans. However, even with a life devoted to math, he still wishes to learn more."I have studied and used math constantly throughout my whole life, but still many parts of [Calculus D/E] are unfamiliar to me," Orloff said.From his childhood onward, Orloff has always had a passion for knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others, a passion that keeps him coming back to Samo each year."The pupils are great here at Samo and the instructors magical," Orloff said.Orloff is also admired by many of his fellow math teachers."Mr. Orloff is an amazing man. I really look up to his passion for math and curiosity for education," Calculus teacher Steve Rupprecht said.In fact, outside of math, teaching and learning are Orloff's true passions."Education, whether you are a teacher or a student, is simply the most wonderful thing there is," Orloff said.mgumbel@thesamohi.com