Inspirational Feature by J1 Reporters Ellie Mulligan and Ellie Rommelfanger
Chances are, if you walk down third floor hallway on a Monday morning, you’ll see very few smiles. That is, unless you happen to run into DA.

You may know Mr. Anderson, DA for short, as a typical social studies teacher, but his students and fellow teachers will tell you that there is much more to him than that. To many, DA is the most positive teacher in the building. So, how is it that in a school full of angsty teenage girls, he manages to stay so chipper?

Any inspirational person will tell you that they draw their values from others whom they admire. DA attributes his outlook to a wide variety of influential people: Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, Mr. Schadendorf (former Marian social studies teacher) and Jesus are just a few that he names. But the most interesting inspiration comes from an unlikely source: Taylor Swift.

“I’m inspired a lot by Taylor Swift lately,” DA said. “I listened to 1989 and it’s empowering; she’s empowered. I think she’s a very good role model. I see connections between her and Marian.”

This wouldn’t surprise most people, considering that the incredibly successful and talented Swift always keeps a positive and welcoming attitude. Plenty of Marian girls themselves are self-proclaimed ‘Swifties.

DA wears many hats–teacher, father, and most recently, hardcore Swiftie. But what some underclassmen might not know is that he used to be the swimming and diving coach here at Marian. Obviously, being a coach requires constant motivation, encouragement, but DA knows that at the end of the day, it’s about having fun. “Coaching is about fun, teamwork, learning and pushing yourself. That’s my perspective–have fun,” he said.

While he considers swimming to be fun, DA knows when to be serious for the important things. His tip for being successful? Consistency. “Be consistent. Take your daily vitamin–math, history, chemistry. If you’re consistent, you’re going to learn. Take advantage of your education,” he advises. It’s no secret that he draws inspiration from his varied list of influences, blasting T Swizzle during Government but buckling down and cracking open a book to study Roosevelt himself. DA uses these connections to teach and inspire his students, an accomplishment that he’s very proud of.

So, when DA isn’t jamming to Blank Space or examining the Constitution, he’s at home with his four (soon to be five) kids. No matter where he is, DA tries to inspire, drawing lessons from his influences and dropping knowledge left and right. Wearer of many hats, he never fails to brighten your day. And maybe, if we take our scholarly vitamins and try to listen to a little more Taylor Swift, we can all be as inspiring as Mr. Anderson.