Dan ’02

Dan (he/him) has been involved with PSCS for over 25 years. As an alum, a volunteer, a sub, and now as an adjunct ELA teacher. He joined the PSCS community as a high school student back when the school was newly site-based in the U-District.

The very first class Dan attended at PSCS was “The Twilight Zone”, taught by co-founder, Andy Smallman. After one class, Dan knew he was in the right place. He continues the legacy to this day (his “Twilight Zone” course is regularly requested by students.) Dan attributes his passion for education to his time as a student at PSCS, “which turned an apathetic teenager into a lifelong learner.”

Dan graduated magna cum laude from the Comparative History of Ideas program at the University of Washington. He later received his Master of Arts in Film Studies with Distinction from National University. If he could, Dan would take college courses for the remainder of his life.

When he is not at PSCS, Dan runs a small business caring for animals in West Seattle, including his own two beloved cats, Luci and Poe (who he treats very much like his actual children). In his free time, Dan enjoys cooking, reading, playing video games with his wife, camping, and watching and studying films.

Dan firmly believes in the educational and social philosophy of PSCS. He sees that, even after 30 years, key aspects of the school’s pedagogy have not changed and continue to serve our students and alum long into adulthood. “The PSCS staff and the wider community facilitate opportunities for rigorous engagement, for students to be brave, to be seen and supported in finding their passions through thoughtful guidance and respectful, meaningful connections.”

Dan understands differentiated learning and engages with each student on a genuine level of respect and trust, while also supporting the community as a whole. Dan is incredibly excited to delve deeper into the overarching themes of the school year with staff and students. Self-Awareness, Community, and Justice just happen to align with the themes of his master’s thesis and his own core philosophy.