Many have argued that science and religion do not mix, but Daniel Angotti does both. 

Angotti, one of HT’s science teachers, gave a chapel talk that exposed a side to him that we didn’t know. He was a pastor before he became a teacher and his chapel talk showed us that he has a deep passion and understanding for God. 

Angotti grew up in Maine, the complete opposite of Florida. He lived a normal life and did the things normal teenagers our age would do. Besides going to church on Sundays, he never would’ve thought he was called to a life of faith. Angotti attended college for engineering and shortly after he got married. He had no intent to go down a life of teaching and faith. But that all changed when a few things turned his life upside down. 

His mother was diagnosed with ALS which is also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is a disease that has no cure and once diagnosed people have little time left. Angotti was left shocked and asked God why would you let something like this happen. Another thing that left him in trouble was that he was working as an engineer at a paper company in northern Maine. The business was sinking because the internet was taking over at the time. This all brought him to a faith crisis.

Angotti was upset at God because he thought that he did all the stuff God wanted someone to do, such as be a good person, pray, and go to church. He began to search for God’s true calling. “Alright God, I can’t do this, what do you want me to do next,” said Angotti. He found himself listening to God and submitting his life to him, Angotti knew this was his calling.

Angotti followed this calling and found himself teaching and pastoring. He was going to seminar classes to become a pastor and teaching at the same time, whether it was full-time or part-time at the church, Angotti was going to teach and preach. While he was enrolled in the seminary in Boston, his wife became pregnant and this left Angotti stuck on what he was going to do. 

“It was a God thing,” said Angotti. He was stuck wondering what to do and then out of the blue his prayer was answered. Dade Christian School in Miami called him and was offering him a job. “It was too random to not be a God thing,” said Angotti. They flew him down to the school and he took the job. The school ended up helping him pay for his seminary classes. He trusted in God and he took him down a good path.

Angotti moved back to Maine with his kids and family and spent about 20 years there. After his kids graduated high school he and his wife decided that it was time to head back to the sunshine state. He decided that when he moved back down to Florida that he was going to go for just solely teaching because it would be easier for him. He came down to Florida again and taught at Covenant Christian School for two years and was a teacher there but he also got to spread the word. The school closed down about two years ago, again leaving Angotti thinking and asking God what he should do now. 

That’s when a position opened up at Holy Trinity for a science teacher. Angotti just knew it was another one of God’s callings. “Teaching which I love, but I also love helping people grow closer to God,” said Angotti. It is lovely to have him here teaching and he has helped all of us on campus grow our minds and strengthen our faith.