Dennis Hester:
CLASS OF 1979
Apple Valley High SchoolClass of 1979
Apple valley, CA
Dennis's Story
Posted 30 September 2015: After graduation, I worked at a local car dealership for about ten months and then enlisted in the Air Force. After technical training, I was stationed at Norton AFB in San Bernardino where I worked in a jet engine test cell and also attended San Bernardino Valley Community College. In June of 1982 I was selected to attend the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School. After completing Air Force Prep, I was accepted into the Cadet Wing in 1983 where, after four tough years, I graduated in 1987 with an American Chemical Society Accredited Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with a minor in engineering. I continued my schooling at the University of Southern California where I earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in 1992 (Research topic: The Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Metal Mediated Photo-Induced Organometallic Compound Synthesis). I've worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for over 23 years where I am currently the Vice President, Product Development and Head of CMC at Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., in San Diego. I have authored a number of peer reviewed scientific articles and hold six issued U.S. Patents. I met my wife of 20 years, Dawn, at USC in 1988 and married in June of 1995. We have two chi...Expand for more
ldren; a daughter Colby (16) and a son Jordan (13). Dawn has taught high school physical sciences for over two decades and currently teaches AP Pysics at Westview High School. I have a number of classic cars that I enjoy working on including the 1968 Oldsmobile 442 that I drove in high school. My son and I are currently restoring a 1966 Ford Mustang coupe which we hope to have completed when he gets his driving permit. My daughter is very active at school and has taken AP courses in Chemistry, Calculus, Biology, World History and Physics. She is also active in community volunteer work and plays the Cello, String Bass, electric Bass, Guitar and Piano. She recently completed a month long chemistry program for high school students at Columbia University, New York. She says that she wants to be a chemist but I keep steering her toward biology. My son is less interested in school but does well racing karts at a competitive level. It has been an interesting 36 years since graduating from AVHS and I would have never guessed then that I would have achieved the academic, professional, career and personal successes that I have given the resources, or lack there of, that I had growing up. I hope to attend the next reunion if possible.
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