If you wander into room 262 or 263 at Wenatchee High School you are likely to run into a wrinkled, bespectacled man with a bum shoulder who has little hair on top, but who loves to laugh, cares deeply about his students and has a passion for journalism. He calls himself a cheerleader, but if you need to attach a title, it is Wenatchee High School Media Adviser.

He oversees a group of 50-plus young journalists who produce a print newspaper, an online newspaper and a yearbook. And they are pretty darn good at what they do. And he is pretty darn proud of them. If you don’t believe me, just ask him.

When he’s not speed-walking the halls of WHS, you can find him hiking with his wife, Dee (also a journalist), petting his cat (a white furball named Coby — as in Kurt Cobain), reading, following baseball or playing softball. He also enjoys quiet walks on the beach on moonlit evenings.

Dave can be contacted via email: riggs.d@wenatcheeschools.org.