For any student who has taken one of Franklin’s health science courses, Dave Sherden is a name they might recognize. After a long career, Sherden is retiring and leaving behind a legacy for many generations of students to come.
Sherden received his undergraduate degree from Lewis & Clark College, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1987. From there, Sherden began searching for careers, looking for a path that combined his knack for leadership with his love of science. His job experience at the time consisted of various jobs, including sports coaching, working as a lab assistant, and working for his college’s radio station. After a bit of soul-searching, he decided to give teaching a try. When he had completed all his required courses, Sherden became a certified biology teacher and landed his first job here at Franklin.
Outside of teaching, Sherden still had a strong affinity for sports, so while taking other education courses, he kept an eye out for something to satisfy this interest. While taking teaching certification courses, Sherden also pursued some courses in the physical education department, including a beginner’s athletic training class. This quickly piqued Sherden’s interest as a way that he could incorporate his long-time love of sports and science on his new journey as a teacher. From there, he decided to pursue athletic training as well as teaching, and for some time during the beginning of his teaching career, Sherden balanced working part-time as an athletic trainer for PPS on the side.
While the health science program at Franklin today is alive and well, it was nearly non-existent when Sherden began teaching. He is almost entirely to thank for the development of Franklin’s medical preparatory and health sciences program. His involvement in the program dates back to the early 2000s, when Franklin’s administration approached him, seeking his help in creating classes for students interested in careers in healthcare and medicine. According to Sherden, this quandary arose during a time when American high schools were seeking to integrate more vocational education to increase career readiness.
Sherden worked with administration to create the class which is now called Medical Terminology. After that, the class that’s now known as Sports Medicine 1-2 was added. As the years went by, the rest of the courses that now make up this program were added.
Franklin now has a program complete with three sports medicine classes — one of which includes an after-school on-site clinic position — along with Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology. These courses are recommended to any student interested in pursuing a career in health, medicine, or life sciences. However, even students who are just looking for a rigorous and enriching elective to fill their schedule are encouraged to try one of these courses.
Many students begin in their freshman year with Sports Medicine 1-2, followed by Sports Medicine 3-4 in their sophomore year, Medical Terminology during junior year, and Anatomy and Physiology in senior year; however, some students start somewhere in the middle of that progression or only take one of those classes that interests them. Over the decades, Sherden has led the whole program; teaching each course — excluding the years when now-retired Rick Holte taught a section of Sports Medicine 1-2 — on his own, spending hours before and after school, creating lessons, grading tests, and carefully preparing real human bones for labs.
Franklin senior Ngan Nguyen has many appreciations to share about Sherden’s classes. “The way he teaches draws you in; it’s never boring,” she says. “Even if it’s a complicated topic, it’s easy to dial down and really go back and understand what you’re looking at.”
Maroon and gray are in Sherden’s blood. Since 1987 and his days as a student teacher, he has spent his time serving and educating the students of Franklin. “I liked Franklin the minute I got here,” he remembers. “I like the mix of students that are here … I like that there [is] a lot of diversity here … and I like the mix of different neighborhoods.” Sherden’s dedication to his career has been motivated largely by his love for his students. “I enjoy working with teenagers. It’s sort of my wheelhouse,” he shares. “I like that teenage energy.”
As Sherden wraps up his long teaching career, he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and daughter. He also plans to use his newfound free time to garden, exercise, and take care of his recently purchased home. After an almost 40-year career, Sherden is getting a well-deserved break. His dedication to Franklin is reflected by the generations of students who have moved on to have thriving careers in healthcare and the classes full of students who are continuously inspired by his passion and unwavering commitment to education and service.
Sheila Brady • May 15, 2025 at 12:10 pm
That’s my Nephew!