Notable Alumni | Tracy Watson Shares Math Happiness in Her Classroom

Editor鈥檚 Note: The College of Arts & Sciences Notable Alumni Awards (opens in a new window) honor alumni for broad career accomplishments, commitment to community service, and valuable contributions to 花季传媒 and the College of Arts & Sciences.

Theresa 鈥淭racy鈥� Watson 鈥�93 M.S. Mathematics

Theresa 鈥淭racy鈥� Watson acquired her love for teaching math in graduate school, but her husband, Corey Boby 鈥�96 M.S., always wanted to be a teacher, says an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article titled 鈥�.鈥�

Watson earned an M.S. in Mathematics from the College of Arts & Sciences at 花季传媒 in 1993. Boby earned his M.S. in Mathematics in 1996. Both teach math in Arkansas.

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Watson is a math and computer science teacher at Benton High School. Her husband works with math teachers in 22 schools district in the Benton area and is a . The couple, who met in graduate school, just celebrated 22 years together this past summer.

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She told the Democrat Gazette:

Watson had no intention of becoming a teacher. It wasn鈥檛 until she was in graduate school at 花季传媒 did she fall in love with the idea.

鈥淚 had no desire until three years into graduate school,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淭o get them to pay for your tuition, they threw me into a classroom as a teacher鈥檚 assistant.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I found I just like doing math. You give me math problems, and I am happy. And I found with teaching, that鈥檚 what I could do.鈥�

Watson, who was also a professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for 13 years, said she just loves school, and the math class is what she enjoyed the most.

鈥淚 got my undergraduate degree in math, and it wasn鈥檛 until I was forced to teach that I realized I could stay in school for the rest of my life and be a teacher,鈥� she said.