Brian McLaughlin was called to teach at an early age. When he was thirteen years old, with his math teacher out on maternity leave and no substitute available, McLaughlin took on the role and taught the class. The art of teaching captivated him and became his life’s passion. Currently, McLaughlin teaches algebra 2, honors algebra 2, and AP statistics at West High School in Morristown, Tennessee, a rural area with a large ESL population and high levels of poverty and homelessness. McLaughlin holds a bachelor of arts in mathematics from Carson Newman University and a master’s in education from Tusculum University. He believes teaching math from an abstract perspective fosters creativity in problem-solving. This belief has resulted in a significant impact on student learning, as McLaughlin has earned Tennessee's highest evaluation scores each year of his career. Impacting students’ lives begins by reaching their hearts, and McLaughlin is driven by a deep desire to ensure that each individual child’s personal needs are met. He has a “destiny first” mindset, meaning that he centers curriculum and instruction around students’ career aspirations and ensures that what they are doing in the classroom is relevant to achieving those goals. He edifies them as they take brave steps toward letting go of self-limiting mindsets and seeing their potential. He is also deeply invested in his community and believes that schools must collaborate with local government leaders and businesses to ensure that the world is preparing for his students as his students prepare to impact the world.