Who is Mr.O?

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to inquire who I am. First and foremost, I am a father of two wonderful boys. I am fortunate to have married my best friend, and my family means everything to me. Outside school, I started a life coaching business for teens and young adults. I am also a resident DJ with Fresh Beats Coop and I spin once a month down in Boulder at Hapa Sushi.

Teaching was not my first career. I graduated from Marquette University in 95 with a degree in communications and set out in the wonderful world of corporate sales. I was very successful financially, but felt like something was missing. I would often tell my community of friends and family that having passion for something is link to a wonderful life. Unfortunately, I had no passion for my work, and was reminded one evening, by my wife, that if I was to tell people they need to find that passion, that I needed too as well. She asked me, "If money was not an issue, and you could do whatever you wanted in life, what would that be?" I told her that I have always dreamed of building communities and working with kids to help them find their passions in life. She told me to go and live that life. I followed her advice and took a huge risk. Luckily, I had some vacation days saved. I took those days to research and create my plan. 3 weeks later, I became the Associate Program Director for the YMCA of Boulder Valley. The job payed $80k less than I was making, but the energy I put in and received was priceless. I worked harder at that job than I had ever worked in sales. I went back to school to receive my masters in secondary education, and before you knew it, I was applying for a job at Platt Middle School. While all of this was going on, my wife and I had our first son, and I truly experienced love and happiness on a brand new level. If you are a parent, you know what I am talking about. 7 years later, we had our second son which completed our family, and our quality of life is at an all time high. My youngest is in 7th grade and my oldest just started Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.

The bottom line is this. I love working here at Platt. The leadership is outstanding, and the staff is passionate and dedicated to every student here. I am lucky to work with people I consider to be great friends. The kids are amazing and this community is incredibly loving and supportive.