Thaddeus (Tad) Van Dyke was born and raised in the hills of East County San Diego. He has been drawing since he can remember and after working for the Recreation Department in El Cajon, he realized he wanted to combine his love of art and his love of working with kids into a career. He has attended Grossmont Community College (A.A.), San Diego State University (B.A.) and National University (M.A. ed). After spending a short time with San Diego County Court Schools, Thaddeus began teaching at West Hills High School and has been teaching there since 1999. His free time is spent with his wife Jamie, their two children, Isabelle and Nehemiah, and his dog Rudy.