As I was building the jigs and templates required to create the bee barrel prototypes I would often pause and reflect on the various people who have influenced my life and made me the person I am today. While there are too many to mention here, I am compelled to express special thanks and gratitude to two teachers who influenced me throughout high school and subsequently my life to date.
The first is my Woodshop teacher McKay Sleight - affectionately and respectfully known as Mr. Sleight although now that I am older he insists I refer to him as McKay whenever I bump into him. I was never really able to follow my passion for woodworking as a career but he taught me fundamentals of math and logical thinking that I use every day. The first thing on my agenda when my wife and I built our current house was to build a shop. It's not much and ALWAYS cluttered but Mr. Sleight's influence put me in a position of being capable of building the prototypes that launched this project.
The second is my Biology teacher Bob Mower. I made a point of visiting Mr. Mower a few days after moving back to Utah. I found him in the same classroom I left him in years earlier. He never had much hair and what he did have was much grayer than I remember but I was pleased to see that his zeal for biology, science, and teaching was as energizing as ever. Mr. Mower was the kind of teacher that taught me how to keep an open mind and think out of the box. Science for him was as strong as his religion and he was comfortable speaking about both. The scientific approaches I take on a regular basis are a direct result of his example. He inspired me to be interested in the little things in life - like bees.
"The greatness I have acheived in my life must be attributed in part to devoted individuals like these two men who inspired me to look beyond and realize my potential."
