Learning about countries and cultures around the world is an adventurous experience in Matt Ebiner’s World Regional Geography class.
The maps and globes that decorate his classroom are only a glimpse into the wildlife of Tanzania or the nature of Iceland.
Ebiner, 54, has traveled to more than 100 countries and has visited various historical monuments. He incorporates his photos in his PowerPoint presentations in his classes and shares many of his experiences.
In addition, he teaches students about the major countries and regions of the world, including the environment, people, cities, resources, history and economics.
“A lot of people have never been exposed or haven’t heard of certain countries and don’t realize how interesting or magnificent they are,” Ebiner said. “I enjoy sharing my love for the different cultures and environments of the world.”
Jake Molchan, 19, history major, said Ebiner’s class is one worth taking at El Camino.
“It’s a very informative class and it’s easy to come to,” Molchan said. “You can tell he cares about what he is teaching.”
Born and raised in Southern California, Ebiner attended Bishop Amat High School and earned a B.A and M.A in geography from UCLA. He began teaching part-time at El Camino in 1986 and became full-time in 1991.
Furthermore, Ebiner led study abroad programs for 10 years until it was postponed in 2010. That’s when he started GeoTours. The trips to different countries are designed and led by Ebiner and focus on nature, culture, adventure, and off-the-beaten track attractions, according to the GeoTours website.
“I decided to start these trips that were separate to the college but similar to study abroad,” Ebiner said. “They don’t have the classes but I still try to have a lot of variety of places and experiences that are educational.”
Giova Molina, 19, History major, said he would like to take a Geo Tours trip in the future.
“He showed us some beautiful places and islands I want to travel to,” Molina said. “There’s a lot about the world I didn’t know.”
Besides traveling, Ebiner is a world-class distant runner who has competed in marathons all over the world. In 2013, he ran 13 marathons and finished as the second fastest marathoner in the world above the age of 50, Ebiner said.
“I started running in high school and I’ve kept at it most of the time since then but it’s been up and down because of various injuries,” Ebiner said. “I kind of got re-motivated when I turned 50 a few years back because that put me in a new age group.”
Ebiner won the Boston marathon for 50+ age division in 2013, the year of the bombing.
“I had finished well before the bombing,” Ebiner said. “I was in a restaurant eating when I heard about it.”
Ebiner said it’s important to broaden people’s perspective and show them that there are so many beautiful places out there.
“People are usually surprised by everything that’s out there once they learn about it,” Ebiner said. “People might not travel to these places, but I think it’s enriching to learn about other places.”
Editor’s note: This semester, Matt Ebiner’s teaching five sections of geography courses: Cultural Geography, World Regional Geography and Physical Geography Lab. Next semester, he’s teaching Physical Geography, World Regional Geography and Physical Geography Lab, according to the fall 2015 course schedule.
