In high school, Gustavo Jesus-Wilson was assigned a book report on The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. What he first thought to be a fictional story about an actual invisible person, was really about the challenges faced by African Americans in the early 20th century.
Gustavo identifies this as a turning point. He “woke up to a new reality…a new way of looking at life,” Jesus-Wilson said.
Jesus-Wilson is a math professor here at Arapahoe Community College with 10+ years of teaching experience.
He was born in Peru, and at age 6 he moved to the United States, where his family settled in Houston. A love for nature stemmed from his immersion in the outdoors at a young age, when his dad enrolled him and his brother in a boy scouts’ program. He also discovered a love for teaching when he was a leader in a chess program in high school.
Initially, he received his bachelor’s in psychology at Texas A&M and eventually returned to grad school to pursue his master’s in applied mathematics. Now, he enters his third year as a faculty member in ACC’s mathematics department.
In free time, he spends time in the outdoors where he has learned to appreciate the beauty of life skills. He loves the concept of optimization and learning how he can prepare better every time he goes on a new adventure.
“And I just like that kind of optimization as well.” Gustavo said. “What can I do without… what is really essential?”
This dexterity Gustavo gained at a young age that has powered him through life all stems from his report on The Invisible Man; “it really opened my mind to all the beauty that exists in this world.”
