Throwback Thursday: Teacher Edition- Neil Morrison

This week’s edition of Throwback Thursday features Mr. Morrison, a highly energized pre-AP pre-calculus and AP calculus teacher.

What high school did you go to?

“I graduated from Fremont High School in Fremont, Colorado. It’s a little high school, eh not so little, about twenty miles west of the Utah border. So it’s really close to Utah, but it’s in the western side of Colorado.”

What sports did you play in high school?

“I played basketball,tennis, football and baseball.”

How did you keep up with all of them?

“Well, it was a small enough school that I played all four at first, but then I gravitated toward basketball and tennis. My senior year, I played solely tennis.”

What was your favorite subject in high school?

“My favorite class was probably history and Spanish. I had some wonderful history and Spanish teachers.”

What did you like about them?

“Well, it was the subject and the way they taught. I had my Spanish teacher and we would actually take trips to Mexico during spring break. A bunch of people would, for spring break, go to Mexico so we got to practice our Spanish and we got to know the culture and visit. It was a wonderful time.”

How would you describe your personality in high school? Has it changed? 

“It’s pretty much the same as it is now. It’s pretty upbeat most of the time. I’m usually enthusiastic about things I enjoy and like. I think most of my students see that.”

Were you in any extracurriculars, other than your sports?

“I was, I was the president of the Spanish Club in high school, and that was one of the reasons why I liked,  I guess and why I still like Spanish so much because we actually get to use it.”

Did you have a job as a teenager?

“I did, I was a paper boy. I delivered the paper every day after school and then on Saturday and Sunday mornings.We delivered the paper early in the morning. I’d get up at two o’clock in the morning and ride my bicycle, no matter if it was really cold or whatever, and deliver the papers. Occasionally, my dad would feel sorry for me and he would get up with me, and we would get in the car and he would take me and I would throw papers from the car, which was really nice cause I got to go through the paper route really quick.”

What was the best experience you had in high school?

“The best? Oh man, that’s hard. I had so many experiences that were just great. I can remember basketball games that we played, making a shot as the buzzer went off. I remember some of the tennis tournaments I participated in and did well. I obviously remember the Spanish field trips: us going to Mexico and all the things that we did. It was just a good time.”

Your worst experience?

“It was actually almost a wreck on the way to high school one morning. I hit a patch of black ice and I hit the brakes, this was before anti-lock brakes, and my car just went into a skid and I didn’t know to pump the breaks at the time, and I almost hit this guy. I must’ve missed him by an eighth of an inch; I mean it was that close, sliding across the lane and into another person. I guess by the grace of God I stopped right in front of this guy; I almost nailed him. It was pretty scary.”

What’s the best advice you can give to high school students?

“Do everything you can to enjoy your high school career. Be involved. Be involved with things you like to do, but also be involved as a participant in other events; go with friends to different activities. The more you’re involved in high school, usually the better success you have in the academic arena, especially if you enjoy what you’re doing. And of course you need to study, you need to put in the hours and the time. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn how to study until college, but high school was pretty easy for me, except math. Anyways, just enjoy it. Make friends. Get involved. Whatever your hobby or passion is, just enjoy it.”