Where are you from?
I was born and raised in a suburb of Seattle on Lake Washington named Kirkland, attending the University of Washington for my undergraduate in History and my master’s degree in Education.  I currently live in Seattle with my wife and 2 children.

Where do you teach and what subject do you teach?
I have spent my entire 21 year career at Mountlake Terrace High School, a comprehensive public high school (9-12) just north of Seattle in the Edmonds School District.  I currently teach AP European History, World History 10, and Honors Humanities, a block class that combines AP European History curriculum and Honors World Literature.  I have spent most of my career and currently teach 10th graders.

How did you get involved with the JFR?
I attended a teacher seminar for my local center, the Holocaust center for Humanity, and was instantly hooked on developing my knowledge of this topic.  I started going to as many workshops as possible and was ultimately asked to present some of my work at a local presentation.  From there, I was ultimately asked to participate in the Alfred Lerner Fellowship, of which I eagerly accepted.

What drew you to the organization and its programming?
I think that this programming and related curriculum are absolutely critical for our students to learn and I want to make sure that I teach it honestly, accurately, and vigorously, and to do that the organization is critical in my ongoing professional development. 

What was the most compelling thing you learned as an Alfred Lerner Fellow?
The list of compelling things is incredibly difficult to narrow down, but the idea that resonates with me still today is that I must teach the Holocaust not as a story of victims and not as a series of statistics, but a critical event in human history that was preventable, was historical in its development of anti-Semitism, and could happen again if we are not diligent in educating the public in its causes and behaviors.

What is your favorite memory from your participation in JFR programming?
The camaraderie of the group.  We all felt the honor of being there and meeting educators from all over the world and sharing our own experiences as we were exposed to so many amazing scholars and resources that week.  I still recall my experiences vividly. 

How do you feel the Lerner fellowship has impacted your life, both personally and professionally?
Personally, it has made me aware that I can’t just teach the material and then forget about it as I go home.  The issues of discrimination, bigotry, and violence are behaviors that must be addressed on a daily basis so I hope that I have been more active as a teacher and a citizen in making sure that this curriculum stays in our District scope and sequence as well as simply being a more empathetic human being.  Professionally, I know that I still know so little and must keep learning.  The exposure to so much academic knowledge that week led me to continue adding to my content knowledge so that I can better pass that on to my students. 

Anything else you’d like to share with the JFR’s followers and supporters?
I remember the last day of our fellowship when we were asked to just say anything that came to our mind and what I said then still stands now – thank you for treating me as a professional, both then and now.