by: Hayley Strahs and Tori Schubert

Editor-in-Chief and People Editor

Whether she’s deriving functions in her calculus classes or dancing her heart out in Santa Cruz, math teacher DeLynne O’Toole is a ray of sunshine amidst recent rainy weather.

O’Toole didn’t originally plan on becoming a math teacher. She went to college at the University of Michigan with the intention of becoming a public accountant. After a few years in the industry, she decided to go back to school to earn her teaching credential, and the rest is history. This year, O’Toole teaches AP Calculus AB and BC in addition to running the California Math League and American Mathematics Competitions at LGHS.

Dancing has always been integral to O’Toole’s life. She spent much of her childhood in ballet, tap, jazz, and ballroom classes. Now, O’Toole enjoys a style called ecstatic dance, which places emphasis on feeling the music and self-expression. With Halloween on the horizon, O’Toole’s is planning to participate in a spooky Santa Cruz festivity: the Thrill the World flash mob. O’Toole will join a group of Santa Cruz dancers dressed as zombies to perform Michael Jackson’s Thriller in locations around the city. She enthused, “On Friday the 31st in Santa Cruz, they’ll have a big street party, where they’ll play Thriller in the street [five] times…It’ll be so fun.”

In her remaining free time, O’Toole can be found on the hiking trails with her dog or spending time with her family. O’Toole moved from Michigan to California after taking time off from her teaching career to raise her children. Living in Santa Cruz, O’Toole loves her proximity to the outdoors and her involvement with the community. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends while participating in dances and activities within her town. A longtime companion and friend, The Dude, is O’Toole’s 13-year-old poodle pointer. This “goofball” of a canine is ready to accompany O’Toole on any adventure she has planned, reflecting O’Toole’s committed and loyal nature.

When teaching students, engaging with her family and community, or participating in one of many hobbies, O’Toole has a way of bringing people together through the universal language of math, commenting, “It explains our world. Math explains everything.” O’Toole leaves a lasting impact on each person she meets, whether it be on the dance floor, a hiking trail, or in the classroom. Following the advice of The Four Agreements, a novel by Don Miguel Ruiz, O’Toole is always sure to be impeccable with her words, not make assumptions, not take anything personally, and most importantly, always do her best. She is grateful for her job and workplace environment, insisting, “I enjoyed every single student I’ve ever had, and it’s really quite an honor to be impactful in their life, because guess what, every one of them has been impactful in my life.”