If you happened to challenge yourself by taking a chemistry class, there is a pretty good chance you met Mr. Dahlstrom during one of many study sessions. He’s kind, smart, colorfully dressed, and incredibly precise with a burette, so it is unsurprising that he is an amazing chemistry teacher. But when he is not teaching high school kids how to analyze titration curves or memorize molecular geometry, his life revolves around two things: his family and his interests. 

Nearing the end of his college years at RIT, Mr. Dahlstrom was unsure which direction his life would go. He already knew that he loved science, but beyond that, it was still up in the air. Wanting to pursue this passion, he tried both medicine and research, but they were not quite the correct fit. It wasn’t until he had a “long, heart-to-heart conversation” with a college professor that he “got over [his] ‘misconceptions’ about teaching.”

When searching for a job, Mr. Dahlstrom interviewed with many different local school districts, including Victor Central Schools. By chance, Victor had an opening and moved quickly with the hiring process. However, the opening at Victor was in chemistry, but Mr. Dahlstrom was a biology major. 

Despite this minor setback, Mr. Dahlstrom continued with the hiring process at Victor. During his first few years working here, he encountered an interesting opportunity: Mr. Cronmiller was taking some staff to the Adirondacks for white water rafting. It was on this trip where Mr. Dahlstrom met his wife. 

If it hadn’t been for many chance events, it is possible that Mr. Dahlstrom would never have met his wife, or worked at Victor, or even been a teacher. Stories like his reveal how just a few (seemingly) insignificant events can change your life!

Outside of work, Mr. Dahlstrom’s life revolves around his passions, most notably his love for ultimate frisbee and woodworking. His interests are amazing and unique on their own, but what may be more amazing is the way he encountered and grew to love them. 

It was back in his RIT days, and Mr. Dahlstrom needed another class to fill up his full time schedule. With a course selection full of rigorous science classes, he wanted a class that was less challenging. After a spontaneous “spin of the wheel,” he decided to try out woodworking. He loved the class, and continued to explore the craft after college.

For Mr. Dahlstrom, woodworking quickly evolved into one of his core interests, as he accrued tools and experience throughout his life. He was drawn to it due to the multitude of different ways you could approach a problem, and the satisfaction of finishing a (literally) polished product. Today, he continues to refine his skills and learn new techniques. He helps out with set construction for the school musicals, has his own wood shop, and is involved in the local woodworking community.

Mr. Dahlstrom’s passion for ultimate frisbee also stemmed from his years at RIT. He had always loved sports, competing in cross country, wrestling, and tennis in high school. Therefore, it made sense that Mr. Dahlstrom decided to try ultimate frisbee during his freshman year. Despite leaving the team the next year, he loved playing ultimate. It just didn’t fit into his schedule.

A few years later, and Mr. Dahlstrom had all but forgotten about his passion for ultimate frisbee. He was working at Victor when one of his friends happened to mention that there was a local ultimate frisbee team. With that, the spark was reignited, and Mr. Dahlstrom continues to be involved in the local ultimate frisbee community to this day. Now, he helps organize ultimate frisbee events and run some of the local teams. 

If Mr. Dahlstrom did not participate in ultimate frisbee during his freshman year, or his friends didn’t mention the local teams, it is entirely possible he never would have encountered and explored his passion for the sport. 

Mr. Dahlstrom has a very interesting story, and so does everyone else. His core interests, his profession, and his family were all discovered due a fortunate chain of events. There is one amazing thing that life never teaches you, and I think Mr. Dahlstrom has figured it out. Sometimes, you just have to wait and see where the dominoes fall!