MILLTOWN — If students at Saint Mark’s High School need a friendly word or just a smiling face, they know they can head to the gymnasium, athletic fields or wherever physical education teacher Dan Swasey is hanging out.
Swasey is in his 23rd year at Saint Mark’s, his only professional stop since graduating from the University of Delaware. It’s a match that has turned out well. He was nominated for The Dialog’s Teacher Feature by students Bethany Neidlein and Caitlin Hoban, both juniors.
Swasey said it’s “humbling” that the students would nominate him.
“He has made me a better person and continues to everyday,” Neidlein wrote. “He pushes me to be kind to everyone and to be there for those who need it. He has taught me how to have a positive mindset in any situation.”
Hoban agreed. “He has made a big impact on my view of my classmates and teachers. Whenever I am having a bad day, he is there to bring me into a better mood.”
Swasey said he’s not at the job for such accolades, but it’s nice to be recognized.
“To hear I’m making a difference in their lives, that means a lot to me,” he said.
Swasey grew up in Chester County, Pa., and attended Kennett High School before attending Delaware. A teacher he knew at Saint Mark’s alerted him to a vacancy halfway through the next school year, and he started in January 2003. He has taught phys ed the entire time and has been the department chair for the past decade. He also has coached boys and girls soccer for several years. It was one of three sports he played in high school, along with basketball and tennis.
He was impressed by the chemistry among Saint Mark’s community. When he started, he didn’t envision himself staying at the school for this long, but now he said he can’t see himself leaving.
“I’ve always been enamored by the community here, the environment,” he said. “It’s a super-positive environment. The community is so close-knit. It’s a real tight group of people. Everybody watches out for each other. Everybody supports each other.”
Although he is not Catholic, Swasey and his family are all-in on Saint Mark’s. His wife, Kara, is a member of the school’s advisory board. Their son Tom is a freshman, and younger son Greg will attend when he reaches ninth grade; he is currently in seventh grade.
“We’re definitely a Spartan family, and there’s no place better. We love it here,” he said.
Growing up, Swasey, 44, always wanted to be a teacher in health and physical education. Both of his parents work in education. He worked at some YMCAs and helped with youth sports. One of his elementary school gym teachers, John Davis, had an impact on Swasey, and the two talk regularly about Swasey’s time in school.
In addition to teaching, Swasey is very involved with the school’s athletic program. He took over the boys’ soccer program from longtime coach Tom DeMatteis and went to the state championship game his first year. The Spartans returned in 2022 and ’23, although they are still seeking that first title under his guidance. He also assumed the girls’ coaching duties along the way, and Saint Mark’s captured state championships in 2008 and 2022.
He also coached basketball as a varsity assistant for both the boys and girls, and he led the girls’ freshman program for four seasons. He attends many Spartans athletic events, both at home and on the road, assisting athletic director Matt Smith with any number of duties.
He worked with the school’s Key Club for several years, and he believes he may have more Blue-Gold fashion show appearances than any other current faculty member. For the past two years, he has emceed that event.
“I like to support our kids,” he said. “Kids want to see you out and about. I try to get to as much as I can whether it’s games, or I’ll take my youngest son to the musicals a lot. We go to Blue-Gold stuff, the fashion show.”
The fashion show, which started in the 1980s, is one of the biggest fundraisers each year for DFRC (Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Cognitive disAbilities). He is impressed with how Saint Mark’s students work with their buddies all year long leading up to the fashion show.
“It’s a cool event. That event alone shows you how special Saint Mark’s is,” he said. “This is what this school’s about. It’s just little things like that.”
Swasey and his family live in Kennett Square, near his parents, who are frequent visitors to Saint Mark’s to watch sports. The family likes to hang out with friends and relatives, and they are fans of outdoor activities and travel. Sports, not surprisingly, are a big part of their lives.
Swasey said he expects to bring his positivity to Saint Mark’s for the foreseeable future.
“I come to work every day loving my job, happy to be here. I think that stands out to the kids, too. I’m usually in a good mood, usually positive, and I think they need that sometimes.”
