BY AMELIA MCMAHON

Rounding the 40-year milestone, MHS history teacher Erik Vanags retains what some call an “impish youth.”

“I have no problem with age, because with it comes wisdom and perspective,” says Mr. Vanags, a world history, sociology, philosophy, and law and criminal justice teacher. “I have the best years of my life ahead of me.”

“The neatest thing about teaching is the connection you make with your students. You tend to have a pulse on the world, what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out’,” says Vanags about getting older. He jokes around with his students and speaks in accents to throw them off.

As a teacher of many subjects, he has plenty of contact with the younger generations, spanning all grades of high school.

“I love music and learning about new bands,” says Vanags. Students will sometimes suggest new music for him to play in class, or a relevant YouTube video.

Vanags offers some parting words to readers:

“Feel young in your heart. Never let go of that inner kid, that sense of wonder and awe in the world. Don’t become so jaded that you forget the possibilities that can happen. Believe in possibility.”