Curtis Campbell teaches College Prep and I.B English to the freshman at Tracy High. He loves to read and teach various novels to his students and on his free time he enjoys to get away from home and explore nature.

Where did you grow up? “I grew up in Seattle.”

What high school did you go to? When’d you graduate? “I went to Highland High school and graduated in 1983.”

What made you teach English? “I really liked the stories and language the most. It also has no rules unlike Math. I thought about teaching History but ultimately decided on English.”

What do you enjoy most about English? “The stories, especially the one that raise your thinking and make you perceive things in way that you haven’t before.”

What area of English do you like to teach the most? “I love the novels, even though I have to kill off multiple people about five times a year, I enjoy reading them to the class.”

What is your favorite book and why? “The Bible, it contains incredible stories and poems. It gives great principles about present day and the after life.”

What is your favorite author and why? “J.R.R. Tolkien, he’s a master at creating different worlds yet making them relatable to his audience. He eposes the truth of how things really work.”

Did you ever play any sports in high school? Why’d you stop? “I played soccer through elementary school, junior high and high school. I quit because I had school, a job, and various clubs to worry about. It became too much.”

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? “When I’m not grading, I like to get out of town and enjoy nature or the beach.”

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? “I would travel to Israel; I would like to see all of the historical sites, such as where Jesus walked. It’s different from just hearing about it, when you’re actually there, it brings it to life.”