OCC math professor is among top area teachers

Marisa O’Neil

Kevin Shannon feels more at home discussing the Pythagorean theorem

than his own achievements.

But Shannon, who has taught at Orange Coast College for 26 years,

has more than math to talk about now. This week, he won the Orange

County Community College Teacher of the Year Award, which includes a

$15,000 cash gift.

“He’s much more comfortable with math [than words],” OCC spokesman

Jim Carnett said. “Yet put him in front of a class and he really

opens up.”

Costa Mesa resident Shannon, a single father whose 10-year-old

son, Ryan, hopes to go to medical school, plans to use the money for

the boy’s education. Shannon could not be reached for comment.

The 53-year-old math teacher first won a Faculty Member of the

Year Award for Orange Coast College, automatically earning him a spot

in the county award, along with teachers from eight other schools. He

has a knack of applying math to real-world situations and making it

accessible to even the most math-phobic, OCC President Gene Farrell

said.

In fact, when Farrell’s daughter was in middle school and needed

math tutoring, he enlisted Shannon’s help. They bonded instantly and

her grades improved and later graduated from UC San Diego.

“He has the ability to relate math with use,” Gene Farrell said.

“It’s not just solving problems, but how you use [math].”

Born in Seattle, Shannon grew up in Orange County and attended UC

Santa Barbara and UCLA. His two brothers attended OCC.

The Community College Teacher of the Year Award is given by the

James Hines Foundation, named for a former Saddleback College

professor.

The Orange County Department of Eduction administers the award,

said Sharon Nelson, coordinator of special academic events for the

department.

This is the fourth time an OCC faculty member has won the prize

since its inception 13 years ago.

“[Shannon’s teaching] really seems to resonate with students,”

Carnett said. “He takes a personal interest in students and really

connects with them.”