Every once in awhile a teacher actually can say, " Wow!  I knew that celebrity way back when!"  or " I hope he remembers me when he's rich and famous!"  I can proudly say that.  I only taught Jared Frederick , briefly, when he was in first grade at Mount Carmel. I instructed an after school art program, called THE ART FUNSHOPS, which Jared attended. I kept my eye on him, because his father was a favorite high school teacher of mine.  I never was a fan of science until I had Mr. Frederick for Earth Science and then later for Environmental Sciene.  He started almost every class with either a joke or a personal humorous story.   That got my attention.  And, his son got my attention too. He was a pretty good artist for a little guy.

Fast forward 10 years later.  When Jared was just graduating high school, I caught up with him again, because I heard so much about 'the great work' he was doing.  I checked into it.  I was totally knocked off my rocker.  I found out he had a couple books already published.  Wow!  Not only was he an author, but an ILLUSTRATOR and a historian. This was taken from his website, which you HAVE TO CHECK OUT... 

Jared Frederick began the artwork for his first book, Civil War Leaders, at the end of his freshman year in high school. Beyond his love of art and drawing, he is a rabid student of American History in general and the Civil War in particular. A sequel, More Civil War Leaders, is now available as well.

Anyone who appreciates good writing, artwork and history will enjoy his work. www.historymatters.biz

He is now at PSU and is on staff with The Collegian newspaper.  His parents must be so proud.

Jared just returned from the BIG weekend in Gettysburg from a 'book signing' and did quite well.  I am putting my HISTORY BLUFFS comics into a book form, and I asked Jared if he could write a FOREWARD for my cartoons, and I was so pleased that he agreed.  He had it done in no time and it will definitely go into my book, and it is so well written.

Here is the writing he and a former favorite history teacher, Mr. Wilson, wrote on me and my comic strip. http://comicsz.com/history_bluffs.php#features