Dr. John Alsup

Dr. John Alsup was born in Ogden, Utah in the 1950s. He has one brother who lives in California. When he was a boy, Dr. Alsup remembers his very first day of first grade. He brought a Mr. Rogers lunchbox. At the end of the day, the teacher told the class they could all go home. Dr. Alsup was so excited that he jumped up and yelled, “YAY!” But then the teacher told him he was the only one who had to stay. He thought he might be stuck at school forever!

Growing up, Dr. Alsup loved being outdoors. He rode horses and went camping with his family. He especially remembers riding Shetland ponies and even swimming with them. As he grew older, Dr. Alsup went to college many times. He earned degrees in 1974, 1976, 1980, 1983, and 1995 from the University of Utah. He also studied at the University of Colorado and the University of Wyoming. At first, he thought he wanted to be an English teacher, but he soon discovered that math made more sense to him.

After college, his very first job was as a P.E. teacher at an elementary school. Soon after, he began teaching math. Over the years, he has taught for 51 years and has worked with more than 10,000 students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Many people inspired him to be a teacher. In one college class, he was the only student. His professor worked with him one-on-one, encouraged him, and pushed him to keep going.

While most of his life has been spent teaching, Dr. Alsup has worked other jobs, too. He was once a surveyor who measured and plotted land. Sometimes this meant flying in helicopters over southern Utah! Dr. Alsup also has a love for music. He once sang with a choir in Ireland and even had a solo, but he came in off pitch, which made the whole choir confused. Now, he always makes sure to start on the right pitch!

One of his greatest passions is traveling. He has visited 65 countries, including Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, China, and Japan. He once biked across France and climbed mountains in Switzerland. From one mountaintop, he could see the entire country. Some of his proudest moments in life are holding his children and grandchildren for the very first time.

He is also proud of finishing his PhD at the University of Wyoming. Life has not always been easy for Dr. Alsup. His first wife passed away from cancer 20 years ago. He said it was very hard, but he kept teaching, leaned on his students, and pushed through. Later, he married his wife Natalia, who is from Europe. He has three children: Daniel, Kelly, and Demetri. He also has three grandchildren: Hugo, Maven, and Natalie.

Dr. Alsup’s favorite color is blue, his favorite number is 73, and his favorite animals are dogs and horses. He enjoys biking, swimming, and has even competed in triathlons. He has also completed the Dakota 50 bike race seven times! Some of his favorite things include reading War and Peace, listening to music from Fiddler on the Roof, and exploring math topics like probability and calculus.

Today, Dr. Alsup lives in Spearfish, South Dakota, where he has been since 1997. He is thankful for his life, his family, his students, and all of his adventures. His advice to young people is simple but powerful: “Live one day at a time. Be nice to everyone. Work hard. And try to make the world a better place.”