Brian and his parents doodle 'Chester'
Brian gracefully offered to speak to me from his classroom in Ketchikan, where he teaches grade three and five students who are very engaged with learning. This makes sense because Brian is turning 40 and says he is muddling his way through young adulthood..always a good classroom combination! Born and raised in the arid climate of central Oregon, he got a teaching job in Alaska because there were no jobs in his home state. He says Alaska is wonderful and is a good fit; “it is sparsely populated and that suits me fine’’. He keeps chickens because they are fun; he must enjoy the challenge of keeping them safe from marauding bears! Indeed he says: “it's a play farm and I enjoy it!’’.
Why Rotary? I took some years off from teaching and worked with the Salvation Army. As a speaker, I went to a Rotary meeting to talk about the Army and I was invited to join the club. I had previous experience as a Rotary exchange student in Denmark and my dad is also a Rotarian, we are still both members of the same club. Denmark gave me a better sense of self and helped me grow as a person. Rotarians Cheryl Metiva, our current district governor and her husband Marty are members of the Susitna club where I first spoke and sponsored me as a member.
Why Rotary service? Everyone should have some sense of service; doing something for someone else is so important…