"our parents are both teachers, they taught us that education has unmatched potential to empower kids to create their own path. because they inspired us to help kids help themselves succeed, jonathan and I knew the mission at the core of umano, in its dna, from the get-go, way before we had any idea what umano would even look like. "

- alex torrey, brother + ceo 

when you dedicate your life to teaching you work 24/7.

every moment is a chance to leave a lasting impression on the next generation. these educators thrive off seeing the look of astonishment in a kid’s eyes when they strive to challenge themselves. if there’s one testament to this lifestyle, it would be ricardo torrey (we call him “pops”). a loving parent, husband and father, pops has supported his sons’ dream of starting umano from day one. 

to celebrate teacher appreciation day and the source of inspiration behind umano, we wanted to highlight pops and his passion for education. 

all the big thinkers who made me dream.

what was your favorite subject?

 history followed by math.

what is the most important thing you want your students to learn? 

that anything is possible if you are willing to try.

what was your favorite book growing up? 

I didn't read much until I wanted to learn english. ian fleming took me to many exotic places I wanted to see and explore.

what is your favorite hobby?  

movies and day dreaming… and screen printing.

why did you start teaching? 

to help students achieve their biggest dreams. 

what is the hardest part about teaching?

knowing that sometime a teacher has to accept that some students may not want to or are not willing to learn.

do you have a favorite memory of teaching?

the expression in a student’s face when he/she gets it. 

do you keep up with your students?  

the questions really is do they keep up with me and for that you need to ask them.  mentally, yes. physically no.

do students give you gifts at the end of the year?  

sometimes, specially if I got to help a student expand his/her horizons.  

who was the bigger troublemaker: jonathan or alex?  

both. jonathan when he was younger and alex when he found out he could.