Working on campus is a family affair for two teachers on campus: AP Human Geography teacher Andrew Lamas and his father, Demas Lamas, the 3D Modeling and Animation teacher. Working alongside each other is a new experience for the father-son duo, but one they are excited for.
“My favorite part is just seeing him through the day and going to sporting events together,” father Demas Lamas said. “Once in a while we ride together on the way to work and it’s kind of fun. I get to see him a lot more than I used to be able to a few years ago.”
Parents are often found dropping off their children to school in the morning. However, rarely do parents end up working alongside their children at the same campus.
This is the case for the Lamas family as father Demas is the 3D Modeling and Animation teacher while his son Andrew is now an AP Human Geography teacher on campus.
“When [my father] started working here I was teaching at Stafford Middle School,” Andrew said. “I liked middle school alright but I previously taught high school so I wanted to teach high school again. I was looking around how to transfer within the district. He was telling me how great it was and how much he liked teaching here and a position opened up last minute so I was able to get an interview.”
I told him that this was a really great place to work,
— father Demas Lamas
Demas believed it would be a beneficial opportunity for Andrew to join him on campus.
“I told him that this was a really great place to work,” Demas said. “The students are awesome and the staff is great. I just think it’s just a really great school and that he’d enjoy working here.”
For Andrew, working with a family member wasn’t as much of a change as he had worked with a relative at a previous job.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with another family member,” Andrew said. “At my first school I taught at, I worked with my aunt so I had a little bit of experience with that. We were separated there just like we are here. We don’t interact that much. Only occasionally.”
While Demas is used to their dynamic now, the transition of working with a relative on campus was difficult for him at first.
“It was kind of hard, not hard in a bad way, at first,” Demas said. “We were in a couple of meetings where there were a handful of us. As a parent you always want to root for your child but I had to think that he’s my colleague not my child. I’m just really proud of him and what he’s accomplished as a teacher.”
In addition to working as staff members on campus, both the Lamas’ have an additional opportunity to spend time together as they are co-advisers of DECA.
“We’re still trying to figure out who would do which role,” Demas said. “There’s still a lot of things he could help me with and be stronger at so we’re still trying to find those opportunities. He’s really strong at some of the details I’m not. I’m really creative and good at some of the competition stuff but as far as the details and travel, he can be a lot of help to me.”
DECA officer Anvi Saxena believes that the blood connection the Lamas’ have allows for better ease at managing the club.
As a parent you always want to root for your child but I had to think that he’s my colleague not my child,
— father Demas Lamas
“They’re both really like minded people and I think they work in the same way since they’re related, which is really helpful for us officers because we don’t have to change the way we do things for each teacher,” Saxena said. “They maintain that professionalism which is really nice for us officers because we don’t really have to worry about any outside factors.”
Demas enjoys working in these opportunities with his son as it allows him to spend more time with his son.
“My favorite part is just seeing him through the day and going to sporting events together,” Demas said. “Once in a while we ride together on the way to work and it’s kind of fun. I get to see him a lot more than I used to be able to a few years ago.”
