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<\/p>\nOn April 30, 2025, our friend and former colleague Mike McGarry passed away after a courageous battle with ALS. For thousands of test-takers\u2014and many who worked beside him\u2014Mike embodied what great teaching looks and feels like.<\/p>\n
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Magoosh was five people sharing a single Berkeley office when we posted an ad for a GMAT expert. We reviewed every application with equal care, but one candidate consistently stood out: Mike McGarry. On paper, he was impressive with two Harvard degrees: A.B. in Physics, magna cum laude, and an M.T.S. in Religions of the World. He also had over 20 years of math and physics teaching experience and a recent 770 GMAT.<\/p>\n
What truly distinguished him, though, was his hiring assignment: meticulously reviewed, edited, and re-written verbal practice questions paired with a polished math blog post demonstrating clarity, creativity, and empathy for learners.<\/p>\n
After showcasing his depth, Mike added a playful postscript:<\/p>\n
\u201cI play defense in foosball, and I would be surprised if any of you could block my bank shots consistently . . . . (Foosball is one of the few activities in life that I am willing to discuss with pure swagger.)\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He came in for a demo lesson, dazzled us, and\u2014true to his word\u2014proved to have some of the hardest bank shots on the foosball table. <\/p>\n During his seven years at Magoosh, Mike\u2019s impact was nothing short of extraordinary before he returned to classroom teaching.<\/p>\n Beyond metrics, Mike\u2019s greatest impact might have been the confidence and joy he instilled in students, as reflected in countless heartfelt testimonials:<\/p>\n \u201cI have a PhD and out of all my math classes have rarely heard someone teach so simply, clearly, and practically. Mike is one of, if not the most, valuable resources in Magoosh.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI was nearly fifty and needed to pass the PRAXIS Math. After three months with Mike\u2019s videos I scored 200 \/ 200. My kids now think I\u2019m a math genius; really I just found the right teacher.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAs a fellow physics major, I learned a lot and I really appreciate Mike\u2019s holistic approach to mathematics versus memorizing shortcuts\u2026 This is the proper way to learn mathematics! Thanks Mike!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIn the distance\u2011between\u2011two\u2011points video Mike said, \u201cThere\u2019s a formula for this, but I refuse to teach it because it impedes understanding.\u201d That line changed how I learn.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Mike approached every lesson as an invitation to explore, not merely a set of steps to memorize. His openings\u2014\u201cWhat in Sam Hill is a bubble chart?\u201d\u2014framed math as friendly, even playful.<\/p>\n He always led with concepts before formulas, guiding students to see why something worked before showing how. Empathy threaded through all of it. Whether writing for a physics PhD or a forty\u2011something test\u2011taker who had \u201cnever been a math person,\u201d Mike\u2019s tone affirmed that improvement was within reach. He welcomed questions in the comments and answered, sometimes years later, addressing strangers as \u201cmy friend\u201d and celebrating their victories.<\/p>\n Underlying it all was the philosophy captured in his number\u2011sense video: \u201cdo a little more math than you have to.\u201d By nudging learners to notice patterns for themselves, he replaced anxiety with curiosity\u2014and helped more than two million people discover they could think mathematically.<\/p>\n Throughout all of this, he remained authentically Mike in shorts, a Mets cap, and glasses.<\/p>\n We\u2019re profoundly grateful for the years we had learning from, and teaching alongside, Mike. His wisdom and warmth ripple far beyond Magoosh, touching anyone who ever pressed \u201cplay\u201d on one of his lessons.<\/p>\nImpact: By the Numbers and Beyond<\/h2>\n
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Mike as a teacher<\/h2>\n
Honoring Mike<\/h2>\n