While it is still pitch black outside, Donald Stocker makes his way into the WHHS arts and science building and on his way to his classroom, admires his students’ art displayed in the hallway. Paintings, drawings or photography, he is beyond impressed with his students’ masterpieces.

As he unlocks his classroom across from the forum, he opens a door of creativity for the day, and when the first bell of the morning hits, Stocker prepares to enlighten his students’ minds with art.

He takes his fascinating life experiences and instills the knowledge and wisdom he has learned in his students through captivating and humorous stories while they are hard at work creating.

After 33 years of teaching photography, AP Studio Art and pro media design, 18 of them in the WHHS art department, Stocker, a beloved and passionate teacher with a personality just as colorful as his art classes, has decided to end his teaching career.

Stocker lived in 16 cities the first 13 years of his life; anywhere from Chicago IL to Newton MA and even Chania, Crete. He settled down in Columbus for high school, his favorite place he has lived yet. There he surrounded himself with great people such as his art teacher Mr. McCullen, and his peers at Columbus College of Art and Design, where he did Saturday school.

Before he was a teacher, he was involved in other careers. “I was actually doing other things and I was not really happy with any of them,” Stocker said. He was an illustrator, and he owned a restaurant called Rhapsodies that was a large nightclub restaurant, seating about 500 people.

His wife, who is also in education, pushed him to become a teacher because of his love for showing people how to do things. “And so she dragged me kicking and screaming into teaching,” Stocker said. This was one of the best decisions he made, as he has loved helping students reach their full potential in the past 33 years.

Within the 18 years he has been at WHHS, in addition to teaching his art classes, Stocker has been involved in clubs like Books for Kids, Photography Club, Film Club and Fashion Club. His favorite has been Books for Kids which writes books for kids at Children’s Hospital.

Stocker’s favorite thing about teaching is the kids, “I would not teach if it wasn’t for the students. Nothing else is more important.” He has had outstanding students everywhere he has taught and loves seeing them progress into talented artists.

He is most proud that over 2000 students of his are out in the world pursuing cinematography, graphic design, industrial design and fashion design. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing students succeed, not only in the classroom, but in the world.

Stocker describes his relationship with teaching as a love and hate story. He has adored so many aspects of teaching, but there have been numerous hurdles placed in his way.

The main challenge throughout his career has been the struggle to stick with his mantra, “If a child doesn’t learn the way you teach, teach the way the child learns.” He is very passionate about helping students learn and understand, but at times people have sidetracked him from sticking to his mantra.

Teaching has allowed him to grow close with students and show his dedication to WHHS. One time Stocker attempted to run for 24 hours in order to raise money for the school.

“I did not train properly for it, and I went out way too fast. I was actually doing a five and a half minute mile pace.” Stocker said.

Despite people getting in his way and being nearly knocked down, he ended up running for about seven hours before stopping, and raised a lot of money.

Many say that Stocker tells the best stories in his classes and has a bright personality.

Currently, Stocker spends his time outside of work tending to his garden, building things at home and going for long walks with his wife and puppy. “My puppy is nine months old. His name is Ziggy Starpup after David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust,” Stocker said.

After he retires, Stocker plans to continue “Doing my art, and enjoying my art, and picking up a newspaper or looking on the news and seeing one of my students names as having a show or impacting the world.” He highlighted one student who is now a cinematographer in Hollywood.

In terms of what new things he wants to try or what he is going to spend his time on after retiring, Stocker is unsure, but excited to figure it out, “I am still learning, still evolving, still changing.”