Great people build great community

University of Dayton’s renowned engineering school initially drew me to become a Flyer, but it was the strong sense of community I felt during several visits throughout high school that confirmed my decision to enroll. I declared an engineering major but realized during my junior-year co-op that I couldn’t see myself in that field long-term. I had lots of conversations — with my parents, roommates and professors — to discern the right path forward. 

It wasn’t until I was in the library with a roommate working on some differential equations homework that I found I was really good at explaining things. That experience helped me discover a passion for teaching, and I decided to pursue elementary education. I built some strong relationships with professors who helped me reach my full potential with my late change in major. They helped me to foster inquiry and chase big ideas, no matter how outlandish. 

I’ve always been passionate about leadership development and building relationships. During my final semester of student teaching, I had the opportunity to start a health and wellness program for elementary school kids at Brantwood Elementary School in Riverside, Ohio, about 10 minutes from UD's campus. Witnessing staff grow stronger relationships with students through the program I helped build was an important reminder of why I chose the education field, and definitely foreshadowed some things to come. 

My career path evolved quickly and not necessarily when I was searching for a new job. When I graduated, I served as a long-term substitute at Virginia Stevenson Elementary School when a last-minute job opening came up. While I was working on my master’s in educational leadership at UD, I received a principal position at Saville Elementary School in Riverside. At 27, my friends liked to joke that I was the youngest principal in all of Ohio! 

I didn’t know everything, but I knew I wanted to support teachers and make things better for students. Our team aspired for excellence — a value instilled in me at UD. In 2019, Saville Elementary was named an Ohio High Progress School of Honor, noting our continued improvement over multiple years.

At a soccer game, a fellow parent shared with me an opening as chief operating officer of Miami Valley Child Development Center, which serves Head Start students in Montgomery, Clark and Madison Counties in southwest Ohio. Saying goodbye to the Saville staff was difficult, but I was confident in all of them, as they had built strong systems and prioritized relationships with students, families and each other.

I’ve been on a lot of college campuses and have had great times, but rarely is there a place like Dayton where you can walk into a random house, maybe get a few looks, but start talking to people and all of a sudden you are accepted and have great people around you to call new friends. That sense of community definitely carries through and far beyond the classroom.

It’s without fail. I was in Las Vegas wearing a Flyers shirt, and everywhere I heard “Go Flyers!” and “Go UD!” We were just at an orientation session for my daughter Lily and they asked all the parents to stand if they were alumni, so naturally I stood up. And during the next break the guy behind me said, “Hey, I noticed you stood as an alumni. What year did you graduate?” I said ’98, the same as him. We’re talking and of course we have mutual friends and we’re asking where each other are at. That UD community continues strong wherever you go. 

I went out of my way not to influence my kids in their college search. That being said, my wife’s family has had season tickets for as long as she can remember, so the kids grew up going to Flyer basketball games. Both kids' college searches were different, but the one thing my wife and I were really adamant about was that it’s their decision, not our decision. 

Will, a rising junior, kept his search small, and I’m happy that he chose UD because we can share in that. Lily, on the other hand, was almost anti-UD at the beginning of her college search, knowing so many of her high school classmates would be attending. She wanted to branch out, so we traveled all over the place looking at colleges. 

If anyone influenced Lily’s decision, it was her brother, Will. We all came to Family Weekend, and walking through the student neighborhood, you feel that community. Will is involved with several student organizations on campus and is a leader of the ENT Business fraternity. He knows many people on campus and Lily had that experience of walking through the student neighborhood and seeing how much Will's friend group had expanded from high school. That led to a few other visits to UD with her brother on campus, and she started to think that she might really like this. I’m excited to watch them both in their journey while being careful not to be that stereotypical alumni dad. 

My kids have quickly built their own communities on Dayton’s campus and will stay with them throughout their lives, as it did for me. You truly never know where life will take you, but I’m happy that the legacy of UD’s community rings true to this day and continues to guide my family and me through all of life’s journey.