“Lamas.”
It’s a last name that constantly echoes through the halls of campus.
At first, you might assume it belongs to a single famed teacher or notable student.
However, the truth runs far deeper: “Lamas” is actually the last name of multiple educators, three of which can be found here at The Nest. They are all part of the same family and rooted in the same long-standing legacy of teaching.
“My mom taught kindergarten for ten years and then taught college as an early childhood professor,” 3D modeling and animation teacher Demas Lamas said. “My sister was also a teacher for over twenty years. I started teaching around forty-five, which is kind of late, but it’s exciting that we can all teach together.”
His son, Andrew Lamas, teaches AP Human Geography and Yearbook.
But the Lamas family tree of teachers at The Nest doesn’t stop there. Julia Lamas, Andrew’s mother and Demas’ wife, became a substitute teacher a couple of years ago after running a children’s theater for many years.
“I enjoy getting to ride with my husband in the morning, and I occasionally get to see my son, who doesn’t live with me and has his own life,” Julia said. “We often discuss classroom management at home. My husband has some computers that face away from his desk, and we talk about solutions for making sure those students stay on topic.”
Some students, such as freshman Ellie Lui, have come across all three educators in their everyday classes.
“I first realized all three teachers were from the same family near the beginning of the school year when I noticed they shared the same last name. I was a little surprised, but it made sense once I noticed it,” Lui said. “I noticed that both Mr. Lamas’ classrooms have a huge collection of Funko Pops. I also noticed that all of the Lamases present information in a way that is easy to follow.”
Each teacher in the family found the profession to be a perfect fit. Julia discovered an outlet for her leadership and direct nature, while Demas enjoys being around teenagers because he’s young at heart. But, at the end of the day, it’s the shared relationships that keep them closely tied to campus.
“My parents really like going to all the games, so anytime there’s a game, I can reliably know they’re going to be there and I’ll have someone to sit with,” Andrew said. “It’s a really good community builder. Also, my dad and I have a lot of overlap with students because he teaches mostly freshmen.”
Demas never imagined that this legacy of decades of education would all line up, especially with his son, so he is grateful to be able to see Andrew as more than just his child.
“My son and I were in a meeting with administrators, and instead of seeing him as my child, I saw him as my colleague. It was surreal and made me really proud,” Demas said. “Most parents don’t get to work with their kids like this, and it really is a blessing.”
