Anatomy and biology teacher John Tripp has always been fascinated with the world around him, especially biology.
“I wanted to be a forest ranger, but I am a teacher now, and I’m very proud of it.” Tripp’s first choice wasn’t being a teacher, but he is proud of where he is now. Tripp has been working at South since November 2003, but before that he subbed at many other schools and ultimately decided to work at South. Tripp enjoys doing lab activities and teaching students. He said he was excited to learn the names of the muscles in the body.
He wanted to work outside, whether that was being a forest ranger or a camp ranger. He was later told he should try to get a teaching degree. There wasn’t really a change in the classes he had to take in college. “I wish I had taken more Spanish classes in college,” he said, stating that he wishes he had taken more Spanish to communicate better with Spanish-speaking students.
Tripp attended and graduated from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, which has since closed. He attended for four and a half years. He also attended Omaha Northwest High School. In high school, Tripp was part of an Academy of Finance group, where he had to wear a tie every Friday and took banking classes. Tripp said his initial thought was that he was going to do something in the financial world.
In college, he was able to take field trips to a cemetery where the grass had never been plowed and the plants were native to the area. “We also got nets and caught little fairy shrimp,” which he said was a benefit of attending a small college.
One of Tripp’s many interests and hobbies, which change very frequently, is running. Tripp is one of the Omaha South High track and cross-country coaches. He started in 2007. Those are the two sports he did in high school and college. Tripp has been running since 1994. He has competed in many races and marathons and was once the fourth-best runner in the nation.
Lastly, Tripp has traveled to Canada a few times. He has also been to Peru and Mexico with his wife. Tripp hopes to go to Australia one day. He also likes his classroom pets — his snakes.
