Craig Taylor, a digital arts teacher at Shadow Hills High School, hasn’t always been the  energetic and jolly, slightly-older-than-middle-aged man that students know and appreciate.

Before dedicating his life to a career in arts education, he was a teenager in high school just like students at Shadow. Taylor graduated from Indio High School in June, 1980. Just like many students now, he didn’t feel much of a connection to school, it was just a place he had to go. He wasn’t the studious type but rather a hardworking, landscaping business owner with around 40 employees.

At the age of 17, his life goals looked a lot different than what he thought he would accomplish. Taylor wanted to work in some sort of motion picture or farming industry. Around this age, as Taylor was approaching the early years of adulthood, his hobbies included reading science fiction, fantasy, and western novels. He also enjoyed the very famously nerdy game Dungeons and Dragons, which was at its peak popularity.

The thought of teaching had never crossed Taylor’s mind until nearing the age of 30 when he decided that his career was taking away too much family time. A teacher’s work hours fit into the schedule that would give him a sufficient amount of time with his loved ones. 

“If you would’ve told me when I was in high school that I was going to be a teacher, they would’ve had to call the paramedics since I would’ve laughed until I passed out,” said Taylor.

No matter what the reason was for why Mr. Taylor’s life changed course, Shadow Hills is lucky to have the well-respected, amusing graphic arts teacher.