Dear Marlin families,

 

My name is Tim Dowling and I am the principal of Marlin Elementary.  This will be my fifth year as the principal of Marlin Elementary, I was previously the assistant principal of Binford Elementary and taught for seven years at Childs Elementary.

 

I want to provide a short biography for those who I have not yet met.  I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2000 with a degree in mechanical engineering and big plans to design cars in Detroit.  But before starting my engineering career, I spent a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer, teaching at an alternative middle school in Florida for at risk students.  This year of working in a school setting dramatically changed what I wanted to do with the rest of my life!  After spending 4 years in New York City working as an engineer, I returned to Indiana in 2005 to start graduate school at IU.  I earned my masters in education in 2007, and have been a Hoosier ever since! I taught at Childs Elementary from 2007 to 2014, teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.  I earned my administrative license and masters in educational leadership in 2013.

 

On a personal note, my wife, Melinda, and I have two children and one disobedient dog, named Birdie.  Isabel is a rising 10th grader and Milo is a rising sixth grader.  In addition to education, I am passionate about Notre Dame football and IU basketball.  I love to kayak, ride my bike and generally be active.  Both of our children have severe food allergies and as a result we spend our vacation dollars at Disney World (the only place where we don't have to cook every meal.)