Parents, Coworkers Remember Teacher as Gifted Mentor, Role Model

A charter school in East Austin is mourning the loss one of its most beloved teachers over the weekend.

Julian Dahmen, a match and science teacher at the Austin Discovery School, died in a kayaking accident Saturday night when windy conditions caused his kayak to fill with water. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens recovered Dahmen’s body from Lake Buchanan on Sunday.

Monday classes were cancelled as teachers and students grieved for Dahmen, according to a notice on the school’s website.

“Austin Discovery School will be closed tomorrow to support our staff through this challenging time,” the notice read. School officials added classes would resume Tuesday.

Although Dahmen was only in his first year as a full-time teacher at the Austin Discovery School he became one of the school’s most respected and loved teachers, reported the Austin American Statesman.

“He had that incredible balance that’s really wonderful and rare: Kids could play with him, they could experience joy while playing with him, but he also had their complete respect,” parent Lisa Olstein told the Statesman. “He was able to defuse conflicts and able to really get little kids to think about their decisions. … He was an incredible role model.”

Dahmen had taught Olstein’s 7-year-old son Toby for two years.

Another parent, Marcela Biloig, told the Statesman that her daughter Beatrice cried upon hearing of Dahmen’s death.

“My daughter loved him very, very much, and we always remember him as always having a really bright smile,” Biloig told the newspaper. “I remember him as being really energetic with the kids. I always saw them running around with him.”

Dahmen was not only just loved by students and parents, but also by his coworkers at the Austin Discovery School. His energy and enthusiasm for teaching made him a role model for both children and adults alike.

“Julian was a gifted mentor to our students, a brilliant teacher in the classroom, and a steadfast member of our community,” Sheri Guess, chief operations office with the school, told the Statesman. “He will be deeply missed by his students, his co-workers and the entire ADS community.”