Grand Haven High School warmly welcomes its newest teaching assistant, Dustin Parlin, a former United States Army soldier. His love for history and skills in leading others brings a new perspective to the building in his first year working with students.
Who is your favorite musical artist?
Chris Stapleton — I’m a big country music fan.
What is your pet peeve?
People chewing with their mouths open. It annoys me to no end.
What are you doing when you are out of school?
I’m hanging out with my kids. If I’m not hanging out with my family, it’s being outside, golfing or hunting.
How long have you been teaching or working in schools?
This is my first year.
Where did you go to high school and after that?
I went to Zealand High School and my greater academia was in the Army. I did eight years in the Army.
Have you found something more difficult than you expected transitioning to Grand Haven Public Area School?
It’s a different adjustment to working with kids compared to adults.
Have you felt accepted at Grand Haven Public Area School?
Absolutely. The staff is amazing and everyone has been so welcoming.
Have you always wanted to be a teacher or work in education?
For the most part, yes. I guess I really didn’t understand it before working here, but it was already near me: I had to teach soldiers how to do this or that, or teach my kids how to be normal human beings.
How do you make your classroom unique?
Understanding that I’m not just learning this, but the kids are too, and helping them understand it in a more adult way.
If you could change one thing about your curriculum, what would it be and why?
Not so many biology classes. I love history. My dad was a history teacher before I was even born. He taught history and math. I am the youngest of five, and all my brothers and sisters got the math portion. I got the history.
What is your proudest achievement?
Being in the United States Army. I actually saved my friend’s life who was allergic to fish. They had fish one night, and no one told us what it was just, “Here’s food. Eat.” We were on top of a mountain, so I threw him in the back of my Humvee, drove him down the mountain, got him to a medic and they gave him an EpiPen. He’s still living to this day.
What do you enjoy most about working at Grand Haven High School so far?
The students and really the whole facility, everybody here has just been so welcoming and so upbeat about me being here.
If you could do anything on your weekend what would it be?
Elk hunting. You’d have to go up north into the Upper Peninsula for that, but they do have a little bit of elk.
Three things to bring to a desert island?
Bill Murray, for the comedic relief only. An entire pallet full of Monster Energy drinks. And golf clubs, because I know Bill Murray also plays golf.
What’s a bucket list item for you?
To visit the Alamo. When I was a kid, my favorite movie was “Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier.” I’m not shamed of this, every day I watched it from like age four to twelve. I’d go see the Alamo, because it’s both where Davy Crockett took a stand and it’s where Texas became separate from Mexico. Like I said, I love history.
