Colonel Dunn was a beloved teacher, mentor, and friend who impacted many students. He recently died of Stage 4 cancer, but his legacy will live on at Ripon High forever.
“He inspired me to achieve my goals and better myself,” said junior Nathan Leslie, looking back on how Colonel has affected him as a student.
He made many memories as a teacher with his JROTC students at different events such as the Army vs. Navy game, camp, and drill competitions.
“[A memory with him as a teacher was] Going as a drill team to Florida because that’s he really wanted to do,” said one of his former students, Desi Cruz. “He believed in me that I could go to Florida for drill.”
Every here and there, he would definitely surprise his students.
“At Camp, he did birthday pushups and was able to do 50 at his age,” one student recalled.
Colonel Dunn was an inspiration to his students, and kept them in high spirits. Many of his former students said he was always in high spirits and always was positive.
“Very positive and cheery,” said Karlos Marquez.
Colonel Dunn gave his students memories they will never forget, such as when he dressed up as a leprechaun and cheered in the Army vs. Navy football game. He gave his students experiences that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
