Dalane Bollinger

After a career in advertising, Dalane Bollinger returned to her first loves, history and political science, and has spent nearly 15 years teaching AP Government and U.S. history at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. A campus leader in civic engagement, she organizes school-wide mock elections and voter-registration drives so students experience participation, not just read about it. “First and foremost, I’m trying to create voters,” she says.

Dalane’s teaching is anchored in founding principles and constitutional literacy. A formative visit to the University of Virginia sharpened her appreciation for Thomas Jefferson’s belief in an informed citizenry and the necessity of the Bill of Rights. In her classroom, students grapple with federalism, separation of powers, and civil liberties, and connect those ideas to current issues with rigor and respect.

Her students often write back from college and early careers to share how civil-dialogue skills and constitutional thinking continue to guide them. Dalane holds a master’s degree in history and believes the Founders’ charge still stands: “A republic, if you can keep it.” She helps students keep it by knowing how it works and by practicing citizenship every day.