AJOY VASE
Mathematics Teacher
William and Carol Ouchi High School
Los Angeles, CA

Born and raised in Dubai by Indian parents, Ajoy Vase came to the United States in 2003. Ajoy has long been inspired by his family’s dedication to teaching and public service, including his grandmother, who taught for 33 years in India, and several other aunts and uncles. He spent a year teaching at his former high school in Dubai, a catholic institution attended by students of different faiths. Learning to adapt curriculum material to the cultural context of this school was both a challenging and rewarding experience and prepared Ajoy to teach in multicultural settings in the U.S. Ajoy received a BA in physics and mathematics from Pomona College and his teaching certificate from Stanford University.

Ajoy hopes to teach in the urban public school system, a decision rooted in his pursuit of social justice. He has participated in programs such as the Pomona College Summer Scholars Enrichment Program that helps prepare low-income students for prestigious liberal arts colleges. He spent six months after college on a team working to build a community-based learning center in Pomona College that would allow students and faculty to partner with existing community organizations and combine their resources to better serve the public.

Having spent time learning Spanish, Hindi and Arabic, Ajoy was the co-founder and head mentor of his college’s International Student Mentor Program. He is one of 25 national recipients of the Rockefeller Brother’s Fund for Aspiring Teachers of Color.