Levin, Daniel

Name:Daniel Levin
Subjects: Biology
Education: Double major in biology and anthropology at Brandeis University
Year started at MBHS: 2001
Previous Jobs: Worked in laboratories
Hobbies: Hiking, jogging, yoga, reading, writing, playing with son, and fossil hunting

After high school, students can feel overwhelmed by the number of opportunities awaiting them. The pressures of leaving home and choosing a college come with a high school diploma. Once at college, students must decide on a major and for many that means exploring all their options. For Daniel Levin, the process of deciding on a profession took many turns before finding a job he loves, teaching biology.

Today, Levin regrets not becoming a teacher earlier in life. "I wish I had found [teaching] when I was 20, not 30," said Levin. Levin worked a variety of jobs over several years before finding teaching. He worked in a corn laboratory for two years, assisting in the mating of corn plants. He then attended medical school, but decided that medicine wasn't something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. "You start to think about what really appeals," Levin said.

After medical school Levin worked at the National Institute of Health for five years where he conducted research on the metabolism of fat cells.

Working on a variety of projects and pursuing a number of occupations wasn't new to Levin; during his days at Churchill High School in Montgomery County, he worked on the Gaithersburg Park and Maintenance crew, picking up garbage during the summer of his sophomore year. As a senior, Levin looked for an easy summer job and found he could make a quick buck in a pizza place.

After high school, Levin attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he doubled majored in biology and anthropology.

Levin brings expertise to the classroom in the subject of biology. He can explain the most complex of concepts in the simplest of terms. The enthusiasm and affection Levin has for his job proves how much he enjoys being a teacher. "I love teaching," said Levin with a smile.

Levin looks forward to new encounters with each passing day. "I have memorable experiences everyday…too many to list," says Levin.

There is one encounter however, that Levin likes to share with his students every year. In his first year of teaching at a different high school, Levin performed an experiment that involved putting a pH indicator, ammonia, and lemon juice together. Instead of blowing though a straw as the directions instructed, two girls drank the solution. The girls were suspended, but more embarrassing was that the pH indicator was a laxative. Levin uses this story as a fair warning for students to follow directions.

Outside the classroom, Levin enjoys a variety of activities, including hiking, practicing yoga, playing with his nineteen-month old son, playing baseball, and fossil hunting.

Levin dedicates longs hours to the profession that he found after many false starts. But he is giving a head start to his students in their quest for a job that will make them happy.