My autobiography#

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Photo taken March 25, 2026.

My name is Alexander Daumas, I study and tutor mathematics for the MESA center at San Diego City College. I was born in 2003 in San Diego, California but my family and I had to leave in 2008 because we lost our home. My family returned to Mexico and I completed all my education up to high school in Ensenada, Baja California -A medium sized fishing town south of Tijuana about 80 mi (129 km) from San Diego.

Growing up I never realized the huge priviledge that is being an American. I soon realized that getting my university degree in Mexico would not be a good idea. I moved back to San Diego on my own, my mom thought I was crazy. Soon I got a job, saved some money, and applied to San Diego City College.

Coming out from high school, if you where to look at my report card and saw my grades on math you would have had your doubts too if you heard me say that I wanted to become a mathematician, and you would be probably wright, it stood as a great contrast to my computer science skills in some of the tech classes I had taken, I was top of the class.

Like most mathematicians I did not start one day wanting to be one but became one later on. I started wanting to put my tech and problem solving skills to use, I wanted to study computer science. I had no fallback plan, I only had one shot, and I could not afford to loose. I set out to fix my weakest skill, math. I took a couple moths off work, got a used copy from College Algebra 5th edition by Jerome Kaufmann and locked myself in the room. Day after day I set out to fill all the gaps I had from middle school to high school. And slowly but surely I fell in love with the math. I recognized that while computer science came very naturally to me, I enjoyed the challenge of math, and with practice and stubburnes it would come naturally too.

I continued to hold different jobs in San Diego, supporting myself and my family. Working full time and going to college full time. Living on my own was a challenge at the very start. My house was a mess. Rent was (Still is) crazy in San Diego. But slowly I got a hold of it. Something about having to teach myself mathematics developed in me a capacity for explaining complex math subjects to other people in ways that they could understand and even enjoy. I am guilty of influencing my friends to go for a math degree.

My interests and hobbies outside of math#

Math is a very demanding discipline. I think that if I only did math I would go crazy. All mathematicians, at least the good ones, are a little crazy.

Coffee#

I worked as a barista most of my life. It’s a fantastic job, all the coffee you can drink, and all sorts of interesting people come a gather at coffee shops. From blue collar workers to white collar workers alike, we all drink the same coffee. The hundreds of interesting conversations I had with costumers where invaluable.

I make a fantastic pour over and a killer espresso. My favorite coffee is drip coffee, black, no sugar. Something about the simplicity of it, I feel I’m an old person at heart. My grandma is one of the wisest persons I know, and she always drinks her coffee black with no sugar, she’s on to something.

Coffee

Photography#

My boss from the coffee shop (He is somewhat of a father figure) told me to sign up to the film photography classes at San Diego City College. Little did I know that it’s one of the best film photography programs in the country. I quickly became obsessed with it, taking hundreds of photos hundreds of hours in the darkrooms and hundreds of dollars (Not too proud of this one) in film and cameras.

I studied under Patricio Chavez he is a fantastic professor. Under his guidance, I was able to refine the craft, he has so much to teach, and I wish the math sciences would learn from professors like him. Some times it would appear that my career as a photographer has been more celebrated than my career in math. I have a very particular approach to my photography, some times I get in the way of myself.

Photos

Chess#

My monomaniacal obsession with chess goes back in time with me. It is to me as what it is to Ahab with the while whale. It comes in spells over my attention for months at a time. Every time I’m at the MESA center I encourage all my friends to participate in the ancient tradition of chess. I have participated on various chess tournaments, where I have been a formidable intermediate opponent. I’m not amazing but I can throw some punches.

Reading#

Throughout my life I have gravitated towards books and they have been companions to so many moments in my life. I love reading the classics, amongst my favorite books are Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Moby Dick by Herman Meville and many more.

Outdoors and exercise#

I love rock climbing, running, road cycling, swimming, hiking, mountaineering. I don’t like going to the gym, I get bored. I love experiencing the world around me, taking my mind off the complicated things in life and being outside is one of the greatest pleasures.

Bike

GNU/Linux and IT#

Computers have always peaked my attention, since I was a little kid. I would be the kind of kid that would take apart their favorite toys. Naturally I got in to learning how computers worked. I am notorious for using an ancient ThinkPad X230 running Arch Linux for my daily driver for college. I am using it right now. I payed less than $100 for it, a long time ago.

Philosophy#

As you could probably already imagine, I am an over-thinker, I have spend countless sleepless nights dealing with existential anxiety. My family was very religious growing up, and that only made things worse. I have always had an affinity for philosophy but it was in college when for the first time I took things seriously and enrolled in many philosophy classes. After all, math is but applied philosophy. Some of my favorite thinkers are Diogones of Sinope, Epictetus, Saint Tomas Aquinas, Søren Kierkegaard, Hegel, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus amongst many others.

Sisyphus

Fashion#

I love collecting and finding vintage clothes at local flea markets. Not only because I don’t have a lot of dispossable income and could not afford brand new clothes, but also because they don’t make them like they used to.

Music#

I like good music. All eras, but if I had to pick, I would probably say 70’s. I listen from Jazz, IDM, to MPB.

Articles I’ve been featured in:#

Resume#

Contact#

If you wish to talk to me, don’t be shy, I don’t bite (Yet). email: