Dan Zoll, class of 1987, has good memories of high school, especially of friends like David Wright and Greg Coutinho, with whom he still keeps in touch. He remembers teachers like Dan Sharkovitz and John Morelli, and credits Coach Schofield for preparing him for today’s pickleball craze. He always liked writing; he wrote for the high school newspaper, and served on the student council. Dan did a column for The MV Times called “High School Confidential” — perhaps a precursor to “High School View”?
Dan was accepted to UC Berkeley; he traveled to California, stayed with family and friends, and worked full-time delivering furniture for six months in order to establish residency, which would secure him in-state tuition. What a creative way to get a top-notch university education! As a student at Berkeley, he majored in English, focusing on journalism. In the summers, he returned to the Vineyard, as many graduates do, to work multiple jobs. His favorite was driving for Adam Cab.
Dan didn’t have any concrete plans for post-graduation, so he went to England and worked as a bartender for six months. The following year, he was able to get work at the San Francisco Bay Guardian newspaper as an intern, and later as a reporter and editor, learning a lot about city politics. In 2003, he started freelancing at a San Francisco NPR station, KQED, and worked on a daily news and talk program called “Forum.” That eventually turned into a job as senior producer, working with a team researching and pitching topics, booking guests, and writing scripts. People like President Carter, Joan Baez, and John Updike were among the guests.
He is currently program manager at Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWC), where he produces live events such as panel discussions and author interviews. The work is similar to what he did at KQED. I sensed excitement in his voice re developing future programs. He and his wife Katie live and work in the Bay Area, where they raise their 10-year-old son, Sam. Dan’s enthusiasm about the importance of the work that CCWC does, especially in these divisive times, made me so proud of another graduate not only using their skills but their passion. Kudos to you, Dan!
Marge Harris was a teacher at MVRHS for 27 years. You can contact her at margeharris@comcast.net. This column appears twice a month.
