D'Ambrosio, Jay S. 1971-

PERSONAL:

Born November 30, 1971, in Erie, PA; son of Lawrence (an attorney) and Kaye (a registered nurse) D'Ambrosio; married Amy Passavant (a homemaker), June 21, 1997; children: Luke, Jack. Ethnicity: "Italian American." Education: Grove City College, B.A. (secondary education social science) and B.A. (history), 1994; Slippery Rock University, M.A., 2002. Politics: Republican. Religion: Protestant. Hobbies and other interests: Swimming, water polo, reading.

ADDRESSES:

Home—83 Monmouth Dr., Cranberry Township, PA 16066. Office—Seneca Valley School District, 122 Seneca School Rd., Harmony, PA 16037.

CAREER:

Seneca Valley School District, Harmony, PA, middle-school teacher of ancient and world history, 1995—. Atlantis Web Solutions, owner and Web site developer, 2001—; Northway Counseling Services, conflict mediator and mentor, 2004—. Worked as youth tour leader in Mexico, 1999, and Europe, 2001.

MEMBER:

National Education Association, Omicron Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi.

AWARDS, HONORS:

All American Award for swimming, National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1994; Outstanding Teacher Award, Robinson Industries Family Fund, 2001.

WRITINGS:

E-Teaching: Creative Web Sites and Student Web Portfolios Using Microsoft PowerPoint, Linworth Publishing (Worthington, OH), 2003.

Teaching the Spirit: Connecting to the Next Generation through Story, Rowman & Littlefield (Lanham, MD), 2005.

Contributor to periodicals, including Library Media Connection and Aeon: Journal of Myth, Science, and Ancient History.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jay S. D'Ambrosio told CA: "As a middle-school teacher, I love witnessing my students grow, not only intellectually, but on a heart level. Seeing a student discover who he or she really is: that is a wonderful experience that motivates my writing. My hope is that the works I produce will help teachers, counselors, and other adult leaders connect with students in the arena of the heart.

"My next work will move into the realm of fiction. Being an ancient-history teacher, I plan to write a piece of juvenile fiction tentatively titled The Hexagon, an adventure that takes the reader from a school in the United States to the deserts of Egypt. Authors who have inspired my writing include J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, John Eldridge, and Dan Brown.

"As in Homer's Odyssey, I see life as a journey that God has set out before us, a journey that reveals our true identities, whether good or evil. That vision has inspired my work and has driven me to reach out to adolescents in both my chosen profession and my writing. The middle-and high-school years are critical in the formation of one's identity. This character formation lasts well into adulthood and affects countless other lives. I believe that we are engaged in a battle for the hearts of the next generation. Story is a doorway into the soul, a way to teach the spirit."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

School Library Journal, July, 2004, Beth Jones, review of E-Teaching: Creating Web Sites and Student Web Portfolios Using Microsoft Power-Point, p. 135.