Jacob Larsen

History, Communications, and Hospitality

About Me

I was born and raised in Anaheim, CA, and grew up in the Anaheim Union High School District. My teaching career began at Sunny Hills High School, then hired by Fullerton High School, and have now called Valley my home since 2016. So far, I have had the pleasure of teaching AP Government, AP Macroeconomics, AP Human Geography, US History, World History, Psychology, and ASB. My wonderful wife, Kathleen, and I earned our Master's degrees in May 2020. Hers is in Communications with an emphasis on Journalism, while mine is in History. We are proud of ourselves for pursuing higher education to set us up for an even brighter future together. Before teaching, I began working in the restaurant industry in my junior year of high school. Starting at Chili's, I eventually worked at Pirate's Dinner Adventure (near Medieval Times), California Pizza Kitchen, and since 2009---The Anaheim White House. Even while teaching, I have continued to work at the White House for a few reasons: I love my coworkers, I enjoy the craft of serving tables, I appreciate my boss and what he does for the community, and I value opportunities to make more money. If you ever have a special occasion and want to come visit me at the restaurant, I'd love to serve you and your loved ones! I am also an adjunct professor at Touro University Worldwide---Touro is America’s largest not-for-profit independent institution of higher and professional education under Jewish auspices. Touro’s schools provide diverse, innovative, and engaging course offerings, from medicine and pharmacy to law; business to education; and speech-language pathology to Jewish studies, among other areas and disciplines. I currently teach COM104 - Speech, COM206 - Media Literacy, HIS130 - History of Modern Western Civilization, and HIS225 - World History. Teaching at both the High School and University levels has given me a rich understanding of the learning process for diverse students.

Come Teach It podcast - By Dr. Michael Berger and Jacob Larsen

-Philosophically, I believe the meaning of each person's life is found by living it. Here are some general rules that I believe help one make the most of their life:

- - Follow reason. You have a mind---train it to think properly.
  - Work hard to achieve a life of purpose and productiveness.
  - Earn genuine self-esteem.
  - Pursue your own happiness as your highest moral aim.
  - Prosper by treating others as individuals---trading value for value.

-Why did you become a teacher?

I got into teaching for the same reason that everybody does: money. In order to live the kind of life that I wanted to live, I knew I would need a job that paid money. In college, as I began to choose a major which would hopefully help direct me into the job market once I graduated, I looked to find a job that paid well, that I would enjoy, and fit my personality. Teaching high school fit those criteria, which is why I pursued it. I am not surprised by how much I enjoy my job; rather, I am proud of the choices I made along the way that made it possible for me to be where I am today. I worked hard to create the life I live---I am happy to be here as your teacher. I encourage you to pursue what will make you happiest as well. You only have one life---it's in your best interest to live it well.

-Why do I like history? Why is it important to learn history?

History tells you who you are and who you can be. We live short lives---learning from just our own experiences would make you a very limited person. When we study history, we are able to see how normal people throughout time have been able to change the world---for better and worse. I believe it is just as important to learn about one's potential for evil as their potential for greatness. Understanding how to make the most out of our time on this planet is the hidden gem of history. I know that the common answer is typically "if we don't learn history...then we are destined to repeat it." My issue with that bumper-sticker answer is that it assumes all history is bad. If we don't learn history, would we be 'destined' to repeat the lessons of the Enlightenment? Would new governments form that protect individual rights? Would we have less racism without the lessons learned from the Civil Rights Movement...I don't think so. History is human---full of good and bad. We learn it because it helps us understand and appreciate the present. We use it to be better.

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