Math teacher and La Salle alumnus Mr. Linus Oey is dedicated to bringing as much fun as he can into the world. 

Going all out when the holidays roll around each year, Mr. Oey lines his classroom with decorations, hoping to make coming to school more enjoyable for his students.

“If it can bring a smile on someone’s face, it’s worth doing,” he said.

Mr. Oey graduated from La Salle in ‘87, and after his time as a student, he had a desire to return to the school as a teacher.

“I enjoyed high school a lot,” he said. “I loved it here.”

However, Mr. Oey didn’t always predict he’d be teaching. Growing up, he wanted to be a police officer but later went to college for engineering. From there, he went into architecture, then health education, and he finally became a math teacher, stemming from his previous experience with engineering.

Going from student to teacher, Mr. Oey likes being able to see both sides of La Salle from different perspectives.

“I was really excited to come back and actually work with [the other faculty], and have them be colleagues instead of teachers,” he said.

Mr. Oey said that he genuinely cares for his students and wants what’s best for them, adding that he wants them to not only pass his class but also feel prepared for the future by trying to push them academically.

“If I seem mean sometimes, it’s only because I love them,” Mr. Oey said. “And I want them to do well.”

Outside of his work as a teacher, Mr. Oey enjoys many hobbies including poker, which he once played professionally, as well as card games.

Skydiving and bungee jumping are two other activities that Mr. Oey has done, and he hopes to soon go hang gliding and plans on swimming with whale sharks this winter. 

He compares his life to a quote he likes: “I’m a doer of everything, but I’m a master of nothing.”

He found his love for thrilling activities when he was younger, remembering a time when he was five years old and would climb up on tables, jump off, and land on pillows.

“I’ve broken many bones, broken almost every bone,” Mr. Oey said. 

Mr. Oey attributes the best part of his life to the birth of his children and watching them grow up. Now, with a new grandchild, he’s happy to be able to relive those moments he had with his own children.

However, Mr. Oey is enjoying his life right now, being in the empty-nester phase. “Being able to start a whole new life right now, it is exciting for me,” he said.