What is your favorite movie to show your students?
“Well, there is no one particular movie, but I tend to show movies that are motivational and show struggle and triumph with persistence. Typically, the ‘Rocky’ movies or sometimes even ‘The Matrix’. I think a lot of people think that failure upfront is the final assessment, that once you fail, you fall and you’re done. We’ve seen this in movies over and over again. The whole idea is that you can be hit, but you can get back up and keep going.”

How many cars have you owned?
“47. If you count used, 48.”

Where do you get your bagels from?
“Rammi’s Bagels in Mahopac. Even though I moved farther away, I will still make the drive because they are the best!”

More importantly, why do you reward your students with bagels?
“Believe it or not, it came from my upbringing. My mother was very strict, like many Asian parents. She would push hard and demand a lot from us and when she realized the extent of her expectations, her way of showing appreciation was to reward us with things. I think growing up with that, to me, giving students bagels is my way of saying, ‘I appreciate you guys and thanks for being good kids and working hard.’”

Do you have a piece of advice for your students?
“What I’ve learned after a lifetime is that nothing in the world is really different; a lot of it is in your own mind. Meaning, I could wake up and have the greatest day, being as happy as a bird singing on the way to work, everything going my way. Nothing in the universe has actually changed, really. The Earth is still spinning, and the oxygen levels are still the same. The point is, life is what you make it. Everything that you experience and that you want to experience is in your head. I could be in a miserable situation, but if I think ‘good and fun,’ I’ll have a ‘good and fun’ time. How is it that a human being can be almost unbreakable and sometimes be so fragile that you can crumble with anything? It all comes down to your perspective; it is mind over matter.”