I grew up in the central Minnesota town of Staples. I lived with my mom, dad, older sister, and my twin brother Mike. Life in a small town was wonderful and carefree. As a kid I really didn’t have much to worry about, and I could explore most everywhere. Everyone in a small town knows you and sort of looks out after you. They would also reprimand you if you were doing things wrong and usually your parents would then find out. That was OK, because it helped you behave.
My parents taught me alot about hard work and perseverance, but the most important thing they ever taught me was to always have confidence in myself, in my abilities, and to never quit or give up on anything.
The hardest part of my childhood was growing up as a twin and being compared to my brother. It made me feel inferior to him for many years. A positive thing to come out of that was that it made me work harder at everything I did.
At 15, my first job was working for my neighbor who was a mortician. I learned alot about living, death and dying from that experience.
My mom influenced me most in my life. She would always talk to me and was a good listener. She would always say I was her #2 son (Mike was born 15 minutes before me), but I was her favorite. She would always whisper this to me so not to hurt Mike’s feelings. She was always there to build me up when I struggled. She was my hero.
If I could relive any part of my life again it would be the years when I was 18-23. I was 19 when my dad died I regret how I treated my dad and the fact I never told him I loved him. As an adult there are so many things I would love to tell him. To sit and talk to him would be awesome. I also made some poor choices back then that still to this day affect my life.
There were two events that changed my life forever. The first was the death of my Dad when I was only 19 and the second was the birth of my first son. Wow!
I like Open School because it fits my personality. Teaching at Open
allows for me to be more creative in teaching and to be involved with
kids in different capacities. I really like the aspect of Open where we
get to know the kids and their families on a more personal basis.
I have taught at Open since 2006. Previous stops were in order: Harding
(1 yr.), Cleveland Jr.(1), Cherokee Heights (3), Washington Jr. and Red
School House (2), Como Park Elementary (14), Museum Magnet Elementary
(8) and my final stop Open School (?).
My favorite thing to do at Open is to be around the kids. I learn so
much from them and hope they learn from me. I love to talk with them
and tell them about growing up and all the things I’ve learned from
life.
Outside of school, I have many interests. I love to play golf, hike,
bike, cross country ski, and rollerblade. However, my favorite hobby
is to do landscaping, build ponds and garden. I also love to be with
my girlfriend, Jackie, doing things with our two dogs, Calaway and
Stella.
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