It’s a new school year and therefore a new chapter in the book of life, and in this case, it’s a math textbook.

Math teacher Mr. Steve Maker started just such a new chapter of his life this school year in the Beaver Area Middle School teaching Algebra.

Throughout high school Mr. Maker had friends who weren’t grasping some of the content in their math classes, which inspired him to find his love of teaching. He took that inspiration, and that’s what made him decide to teach Algebra I. In particular, he wanted to teach middle school students specifically to show them that math isn’t as bad as they think and that you do need it in everyday life.

Along with Algebra I this year, Mr. Maker now advises the K’nex and Math Counts enrichment programs.

But math wasn’t the only subject he thought about teaching. He also had a passion for music and French.

“Math and music?” you might ask. Yes.

“It’s interesting to see how math and music are related, in terms of sign signature, and as you go up the music scale the repetition relates to a higher level of a number scale,” explained Mr. Maker.

Mr. Maker attended South Park High School. He graduated from Grove City College in May. While in college he student-taught at Hickory High School in Hermitage, Pennsylvania.

Along with being invested in his teaching career Mr. Maker is a huge sports fan, everything from baseball to tennis.

“A dream of mine is to see the Pirates win a World Series before I die,” said Mr. Maker. (And at this rate he’ll be living a long, long life . . . )