From 2009 to 2024, Anatomy and Physiology has easily become the most popular science elective, with over 120 kids in the course each year. Jon-Paul Ewing took over the class from his own high school anatomy teacher Kathy Egan in 2009. Then it was a single period elective course, and now it has been transformed into most students favorite science class, and along with it, Ewing becoming one of the most popular teachers.
Ewing moved to Paso in 1983 when he was two years old, and has been here ever since. He attended Georgia Brown for elementary school, Lilian Larson for middle school, and Paso High from 1995-1999.
In high school, Ewing was a 4-year varsity Cross Country and Track athlete, as well as a PRHS wrestler in his off seasons. He was also involved in Leadership, FFA, the Hiking and Environmental Club, and YCF (Youth Christian Fellowship). He also met his now wife and PRHS AP Biology teacher, Gaylene Ewing. They have been married for 20 years and have been teaching at paso together since 2011. After high school, Ewing went on to attend Cal Poly SLO and double majored in Biological Sciences and Ecology & Systematic Biology. He also minored in Spanish, Soil Science, and Land Rehabilitation.
Ewing’s calling to be a teacher came from influential PRHS guru, Mark DiMaggio, who invented the GEO elective that Ewing has directed since DiMaggio’s retirement. .
“[He] challenged me to look at the world differently. He was unlike any teacher I ever had, he treated his students with respect and valued our opinions despite our very limited life experiences. I figured that I had about 70-80 years of life on this planet, I want my life to positively impact as many others as possible, teaching is my calling to do that,” Ewing said.
He began his teaching career at Paso in 2004 as a student teacher, then a full time sub in the spring of 2005, and then started teaching in the fall of 2006. Since then, he has taught over 10 different courses: Biology Investigations, ELD Biology, Earth Science Investigations, ELD Earth Science, College Prep Biology, Honors Anatomy & Physiology, A.V.I.D., Marine Biology, Science Academy 1, Global Environmental Options (GEO), and Science Academy 3. Ewing also created and taught two Field Study Collaboratives (FSC): Marine Intertidal Monitoring Project and the Astrometry Field Research Seminar, and he has been the Science Department Chair for eight years. In addition to these courses, he also coached boys cross country and track from 2006 to 2017. He stopped in 2017 so he would be able to spend more time with his son Jupiter, now age eight.
“We had great success, building a program from 8 boys in 2006 into a state-level competitive program with over 60 boys,” Ewing said.
Some of Ewing’s favorite classes to teach have been Anatomy and Physiology, Marine Biology, and GEO. He spent five years trying to persuade the school to let him offer Marine Biology. Unfortunately, he had to give the class up to ensure GEO was able to keep running. Senior Kyah Jimeson, has been in his class for two years. Anatomy and Physiology her junior year, and GEO her senior year.
“I have been Mr. Ewing’s student for the past two years and in these years I have really grown to know him not just as my teacher but as a person. He is super dedicated to his classes and will do anything in order for his students to succeed. What he teaches prepares us for the real world and does all of this while still keeping his students best interest at heart,” she said.
Ewing has always considered PRHS to be his home , and for many years only expected to leave the school when he retired. He saw that there was a need for him at the Georgia Brown campus in the upcoming years in order to build a strong science program so these students are better prepared for high school. Something that will be hard to say goodbye to, though, will be his students.
“Seriously, the best part of my day is laughing and interacting with my amazing students. I have been fortunate to be on the sidelines for the last 18 years cheering you on,” Ewing said.
