“I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.” – Mark Haddon

The itch to teach hit instructor Ross Brower after tutoring a classmate in his freshman year of college, and since 2002 Ross has been connecting students to skills they need in his math and computer classes, and also with tutors. His enjoyment of teaching creates a positive environment for students to learn skills crucial for success in technical programs. As the Student Success tutor coordinator and head of the Supplemental Instruction program, Ross connects students progressing through their program with direct support. Ironically, you won’t find Ross on Facebook or Twitter, or even watching satellite television. Ross’s life outside ESSC is paradoxically disconnected from technology, as he spends his time learning Spanish from his 4-year-old daughter, and as the head coach of Robbinsdale Armstrong High School’s boys’ lacrosse team.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela

German-born Eeris Fritz has worn many hats – literally. A dual citizen until she was 21, Eeris began her adult life as a teenager as the effect of a difficult home life. Starting as an artist (known for her one-of-a-kind hats and jewelry), Eeris then crossed over into the math and electronics field as a field technician, and finally joined the Student Success Team in 2003. Her own educational background prompts the passion she has for imparting knowledge unto her students as a way to open doors for them. Eeris has earned numerous awards for excellence recognizing her teaching passion, and uses her skills to help students with physics and study skills in addition to math and electronics. Apart from wires and textbooks, Eeris continues to practice her art, and she and her family can often be found outdoors. She donned her most recent hat – Grandma – with the birth of her first grandbaby, Ruby.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats

The newest member of the Student Success Team, Teresa Milligan uses her skills base gained from teaching social studies and reading to prepare her students to interpret technical textbooks and legal specifications, write job orders and presentations, and think of themselves as students. Inspired by the Multiple Intelligences Theory, Teresa works to connect each student to their individual strength and then teaches them to utilize it to improve their linguistic ability. Using patience and humor, and examples that usually involve her toddler or German shepherd, Teresa teaches her students to first see reading and writing as skills, and then makes the connection between these skills and those needed for their technical program.