Star Wars fanatic, basketball coach, Tae Kwon Do practitioner, and science guru — Associate Professor of Education Studies David Hildreth is a man of many passions. His hobbies started simply, though.

“Reading an encyclopedia was fun for me and I would collect turtles and keep them in my pockets,” said Hildreth. “My mom would find them flapping around when she opened the washing machine because I would forget that I had put them in my pockets.”

Hildreth found growing up in rural North Carolina humbling and useful to his lifelong journey.

“There was one high school for the whole county,” said Hildreth. “It was a mill town and when I was little I worked in the textile mills all the way up to college.”

Hildreth, the youngest of four children, loved spending time in nature when he was young.

“I always went outside with my dogs; we would go play in the creek,” said Hildreth. “My main friend was my dog and I enjoyed being outdoors, and that is where my love for science comes from.”

Hildreth’s passion for science came not only from nature but also through an introduction to the science fiction channel through his brother’s early interest.

“The original Outer Limits was my favorite show growing up and it came on at 11:30 p.m. on Friday nights,” said Hildreth. “I love science fiction to this day.”

In addition to his love of science fiction television shows, Hildreth had to admit his infatuation for Star Wars and how he uses the “Force” and many Yoda quotes in the classroom.

“1977 is when Star Wars came out and it was amazing,” said Hildreth, as he pointed out his Darth Vader mask and talking Yoda. “I saw it so many times in theaters. You can relate anything to Star Wars because Yoda is so wise.”

Luke Skywalker and Yoda are only a small spectacle in Hildreth’s life compared to his passion for the classroom setting.

“I always wanted to be a scientist or go to veterinary school, but I stumbled into teaching because I was a biology major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” said Hildreth.

After studying at UNC-Chapel Hill, Hildreth went on to get his masters at East Carolina University because of their program in Science Education and Ethology. At ECU, he studied cicadas and the wasps who hunt them.

“I wanted to go back to Chapel Hill for my Ph.D. but I could not give up the scholarship that the University of North Carolina at Greensboro was offering me, so I chose UNCG,” said Hildreth.

Before he came to Guilford, Hildreth was a biology professor at Francis Marion University. He loved teaching because of the relationship between teacher and student, which was much more engaging than a lab room.

“I always wanted to work in an environment where I could learn and that is what I love about Guilford,” said Hildreth. “The students are passionate and challenging and that is what makes my job amazing.”

Teaching was something Hildreth always did. He stepped right into it as he taught Tae Kwon Do classes when he got his black belt at the age of 17. And he continues to teach through coaching basketball, helping lead two teams to State AAU basketball championships over the past five years.

“Tae Kwon Do helped me realize that helping others was cool,” said Hildreth.

The “Force” led Hildreth to Guilford; his passion and excitement for the teaching profession remain true to the education studies department. May the “Force” continue to lead Hildreth in helping others find their enthusiasm for teaching as well.