Mark Horlu, left, is the assistant director of the UTC Math Plaza. Photo by Angela Foster.
Mark Horlu, a graduate student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga studying applied mathematics, has always been passionate about the subject.
When Horlu taught in his hometown of Have, Ghana, he always tried to make math relatable to his students.
For many, math may seem “boring” or hard to comprehend. Horlu wanted to change the perception of math and show his students that math is a tool that helps explain how the world works—and isn’t so hard.
While completing his undergraduate degree in mathematics with a focus on economics at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, Horlu would return to his elementary school students during breaks to tutor them and improve their math skills.
“Most people are afraid to take on careers in mathematics,” Horlu said, “or even pursue an undergraduate in mathematics. I advise math is not difficult. It just needs constant practice.”
He emphasized the constant need to practice while teaching mathematics at Have Technical Institute and Unity International College by using examples from around the world.
“You need to take your time and approach the subject for them to love it,” Horlu said. “I need to take my time to create that environment for them to feel safe for me to deliver. I actually encountered some difficulties while doing that. For the first month of teaching, most of them were not paying attention. They’ll be like, math is boring and all that.
“The strategy I devised was that before I start the concept, I’ll usually bring a real-world phenomenon. This is this, and this is what we can apply this concept to, and now they’re all eager to know. How are we going to approach it now because we know we can apply it in this field? They’ve now developed more interest in the subject.”
Horlu realized through teaching that he wanted to follow his advice and practice what he had been preaching by applying math to the real world and—in his case—pursuing his master’s degree in applied mathematics.
During his time at UTC, Mark Horlu has worked as a teaching assistant in the math department and as a teacher in the Upward Bound Math-Science program.
When Horlu was deciding where to attend to pursue his degree, he took the advice of a friend who had attended UTC two years prior.
Horlu said when his friend mentioned the friendly professors and the smaller class sizes compared to what he was used to, he was sold on traveling to Chattanooga. He is one of seven Ghanaian students working within the math department—which he said helped his transition to UTC when he arrived in 2023.
“I was just ready to embrace anything and everything because I was ready for change,” Horlu explained. “I had in mind that this is an international school, so we’ll have people coming from all walks of life.
“Since we have a lot of international students here, I feel like UTC has actually created an environment where everyone feels like this is your second home.”
Horlu said he has taken advantage of the University’s opportunities and utilized his teaching skills to continue spreading his love of math.
He has worked as a teaching assistant in the math department and as a teacher in the Upward Bound Math-Science program—and is currently the assistant director of the UTC Math Plaza.
Deborah Barr, administrative specialist for the Department of Mathematics and a former math teacher, explained that Horlu’s love of the subject makes him special.
“He wants everybody to love math like he does and understand it like he does,” Barr said.
Horlu’s passion was displayed during his work with the Upward Bound Math-Science PRISM program, a federally funded TRIO initiative whose purpose is to prepare low-income and first-generation college-bound students for success in higher education.
He spent last summer teaching math to students from Brainerd High School and The Howard School, using his experiences teaching in Ghana and his own background as a first-generation college student to connect with them.
“I had firsthand experience in my nuclear family,” Horlu explained. “I’m the first to academically go ahead in life.”
Upward Bound Math-Science Program Director Twyler Boykin said Horlu’s ability to relate with students and meet them at their level helps enhance their skills in the classroom.
“He is just very meticulous and thorough in how he teaches,” Boykin explained. “The students said they had never had that type of teaching delivery, which was impressive … He was able to bring it down to a level of relatability for the students and was able to relate to the students, which is a population that’s different than he’s used to.
“It was just a really well-matched group of students and him working together. It just made a perfect combination. The students liked knowing he looked like them but was from a different country. They got to learn about his experiences being from his country and him coming over to better himself by increasing his level of education.”
Professor Chris Cox, head of UTC’s math department, said Horlu and the other international students within the department are model students.
“He’s willing to take initiative and do things to keep growing, and he has a natural knack for teaching,” Cox said. “He does this tutoring for us in the math lab. He’s got a really good future ahead of him; I have no doubt about that. I’m just excited about where he’ll go.”
“Most people are afraid to take on careers in mathematics,” Mark Horlu said, “or even pursue an undergraduate in mathematics. I advise math is not difficult. It just needs constant practice.”
In addition to Horlu’s work in the classroom and math lab, he works as a church photographer at Revival International Church in Chattanooga. He credits his faith for making the transition to Chattanooga go smoothly.
“This journey has always been about Jesus,” Horlu explained. “I believe God brought me here for a reason, for a purpose. I’m not just here to fulfill my academic goal. I’m also here to touch life. When I got here, I joined a church. They’ve really been building my faith.
“It has had a great impact on my spiritual journey and I’m really grateful to that community. They make us feel at home. Our pastor always calls us to check up on us. They made us feel like a family.”
After graduating from UTC, Horlu is looking to earn his doctorate in financial mathematics. He hopes to become a financial analyst and return to Ghana to help people with their financial literacy.
“One of the main issues Ghana faces is financial problems,” Horlu said. “I feel like we have the resources … but there is a lot of misappropriation and misapplication. I feel math is needed there. People don’t value it, but math is needed there to correct it.”
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