Mr. Dan Dahms is one of the new teachers here at CCHS and the second tallest, beat only by Mr. Kaufman. He discovered CCHS during his job search after leaving his previous job “up north”. Mr. Dahms worked at UCSD, after moving this summer, and looked around to find CCHS. There were many factors that led Mr. Dahms to choose Cathedral. In regards to one of them he said, “I felt like the administration cared.”

Mr. Dahms, a young teacher, realized how hard it was to get a job out of college. When he was offered a job up north, he accepted without question. He said, “It was a hard decision to make, but I needed to come back to San Diego. I just felt like there was a lack of closure after leaving… It was bittersweet leaving San Diego and I’ve always wanted to return.” He did just that this past summer.

For his college and teaching credentials, Mr. Dahms went to UCSD, where he did not particularly like the large classes. He preferred to go to the “office hours” of his professor. He said, “I learned it was easier to work closely with the professor in one-on-one time or sometimes four-on-one.” He continues to apply this closeness of teaching to his classes today. “My goal is to be a guide as a teacher. I want the students to be the leaders and appreciate the material. I just want to be there to guide them,”he said. He first applied this concept to his internship at Preuss Charter School in his junior year in college.

“It is a powerful feeling being able to choose where you go in life,” he said. He made the decision to come back and live the rest of his life here in San Diego. Since moving here, he has picked up a few hobbies. One, which might be surprising for a math teacher, is his passion for crosswords. Other hobbies of his include juggling with sticks and playing basketball.

Mr. Dahms is excited for all this year has in store. “I’ve got a great feeling about this place,” he said.