This school year, I'll be highlighting VCHS's greatest asset: its people. More importantly, I want to share with you what makes them tick - their purpose, their goals, their aims, their calling.
Hawkeye. No, not Alan Alda on M*A*S*H, but our very own Mr. Dan Mysnyk. Born in Iowa City, Iowa, the firstborn of four with 3 sisters, Mr. Mysnyk is an Iowan through and through, even going through the state’s rite of passage – detasseling corn. After attending a K-8 Christian school, he transitioned to a local public school where he played football, basketball, soccer, tennis and bowling.
Athlete, scholar, Rap music lover, high-schooler Mr. Mysnyk thought he was bound for medicine in the footsteps of his father, one of his heroes. But God had other plans. After four years at Wartburg College majoring in Math and Economics (and playing some college football) and then on to fully-funded fellowship at Tarleton State University for an M.S. in Math with an emphasis in Data Science, Mr. Mysnyk landed a desk job doing insurance fraud detection utilizing satellite data. Forty hours a week glued to a computer screen was not for him, but Vail was. He packed his Texas bags and moved to the valley for “one winter” as a ski instructor in which he skied 153 days. He stayed one summer and was hooked.
That first summer, he met Lauren Mutter and Scott Leonard, two friends from The Vail Church with connections to VCHS and learned about a last-minute teaching opening. He applied, was hired, and here he is 3 years later as our AP Statistics-AP Macroeconomics-Math-Performance PE Teacher. Mr. Mysnyk also coaches Saints’ football and track and field. As for hobbies, he does yoga, skis, plays rugby, mountain bikes, golfs (not scratch yet), and lifts weights. In fact, he recently came in 3
rd
place in the 165 lb. and under division at the Strongman national competition. He was the lightest person at the entire event. His favorite movies may give you an insider’s glimpse into his personality – Moneyball, Tropic Thunder, and Never Back Down.
And what makes him tick? Why is he at VCHS? Mr. Mysnyk is passionate about working at a school where he doesn’t have to hide his faith in Jesus Christ. He loves his students, his athletes and the satisfaction that comes with helping them reach their goals – whether in the classroom or on the playing field. He’s a huge fan of VCHS students, especially of their strong work ethic, and “brags about them to others all the time.”
He still listens to Rap, especially Big Shaq, practices his carnivore habits at Backcountry Wings in Minturn and skis every inch of fresh powder around Vail and Beaver Creek that no one else has or will. Most importantly, Mr. Mysnyk is a man of faith who is certain God performed a miracle opening the door for him to dedicate himself to VCHS students. That miracle from God was his and ours.
Mr. Mysnyk, lives of purpose…
