by Macade Maxwell

St. John Bosco welcomes a new math teacher Robert Hilton, who hopes to make math enjoyable for students with his vibrant energy and expertise. 

Q. Where did you grow up? 

A. I grew up in the city of Duarte.

Q. What high school did you attend? 

A. I attended Western Christian High School when it was in Covina.

Q. What college or university did you attend and what was your major of study? 

A. I have three degrees from three different schools. First, I have a B.S. in Computer Science from Cal Poly Pomona. Next, I received a B.A. in Music Education. Finally, I have an M.M. in Music Composition. 

Q. Did you always like math growing up?  

A. We tend to like things that we are good at. So since I was good at math, I did like it growing up.

Q. Where did you teach before Bosco?

A. I used to teach at Southlands Christian Schools.

Q. What initially got you interested in teaching? 

A. I used to work as a piano accompanist for Covina High School. Through this experience, I learned that I like being in the classroom and helping students to become better. This motivated me to pursue teaching.

Q. How long have you been teaching?

A. This year is my 19th year of teaching.

Q. Why do you think math is important to learn?

A. While the specific disciplines of math all have their applications, the skills required to be successful in math are skills that can be universally applied in any context of life. Examples of this are the ability to follow instructions exactly as written, the ability to remember and apply a procedure, the ability to use known tools to solve unknown problems and the ability to model problems in a more understandable way.

Q. What made you come to Bosco and start teaching?

A. Bosco has a lot to offer its students and teachers, and I was excited to be a part of a team that does this. I also love working in a place where God is openly glorified and exalted.

Q. Besides teaching, what are some things you enjoy doing in your free time? 

A. I’m a big video game player. I enjoy computer programming and writing music. I like movies, going to see shows and playing board games.

Q. So far, what are your first thoughts on Bosco?

A. I’m really enjoying every aspect of Bosco, but in particular, the students that I get to teach.

Q. What are your favorite foods to eat? 

A. I’m a huge seafood fan, but I have a soft spot for sushi.

Q. What is your favorite movie or movie series?

A. I like movies of the mystery genre. I particularly enjoyed the Knives Out movies.

Q. If you could take a trip to anywhere in the world, where would it be?

A. I’m not super excited about traveling, but maybe to Paris for the food.

Q. What is your favorite sport to watch?

A. Not really a sports fan, but I enjoy watching the Olympics.

Q. If you were to compete in a sport for the Olympics, what would it be and why?

A. I’m not super athletic, so maybe something like archery. 

Q. Do you have any pets? If not what type would you like to have?

A. No pets, but I had a dog growing up. I’d probably get another dog.

Q. What type of music do you like?

A. I’m a huge choir nerd, but I’m more a fan of contemporary choir, like a cappella music. More like the music you’d find on Pitch Perfect.

Q. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you want to be?

A. Probably a professional musician, either in performance or music publishing.

Q. What is a piece of advice that you would give to your younger self? 

A. Everything matters, but not that much. There are a lot of things that I put in the “doesn’t matter” category that I wish I had paid more attention to. There are also things that I thought were more important than they really were.

Q. What is something that you would like the Bosco community to know about you?

A. At some point in my life, I decided that if I was going to do something, I wanted to do it well. I strive to do everything that I do with excellence.