Tom Farley BA’19 didn’t envision a career in elementary education when he graduated from Willamette University as an Economics major. Now, when he plays his guitar for his students or bonds with them over a mutual love of basketball, Farley realizes that his path couldn’t be a better fit. What drew him to teaching, and what keeps him there, are the values that took root not only in his Willamette classrooms, but in the wider community that shaped his time here.
“At Willamette, there are so many opportunities to explore your interests and become a well-rounded person,” Farley says. “That didn’t only make me more adaptable post-graduation, it gave me the freedom to figure out what I wanted to learn. That's everything for a college student.”
Farley picked up his guitar as a sophomore in his Kaneko Commons dorm room and started writing and recording songs. This passion inspired an Arts, Technology, and Multimedia minor so he could simultaneously pursue his love for music. He didn’t stop there. By his junior year, Farley was performing with the Men’s Ensemble choir (now Vox) and Headband acapella group.
The creative exploration Farley was able to pursue with music fit perfectly with the human-centered, liberal arts approach he found in Willamette’s Economics department. In his economics courses, Farley says he learned more than just economic theory; he also gained a new way of looking at the world.
“Willamette didn’t structure economics in a way that just set me up to work, say, in the financial sector or to make a bunch of money off other people. It taught me to think about different perspectives in the world, the way our society is structured, and the different outcomes of various economic systems,” Farley says.
“That method of learning has been invaluable to me as an educator in the age of AI, as my district grapples with the way kids have changed in a screen-based environment.”
Farley also took Emeritus Professor Mike Nord’s course Creating Music With Digital Technology, which helped him explore the intersections of art and technology — an approach he still uses with his students today.
“Coming out of Willamette,” he continues, “both my major and minor equipped me with a foundational way of looking at the world that helps me adapt to technology as it advances every 5-10 years. I’m using technology myself to drive engagement and enhance my students’ experience by using video, music, and visual slides to reach the kids.”
Farley, whose impact was recently recognized with a Cupertino Union School District 2026 Superintendent’s Award for exemplary teaching and classroom leadership, taught fourth grade for three years, but will transition to serve as his school’s 3rd-5th grade music teacher.
As Farley moves on to his next chapter of teaching, he holds the Willamette motto — “Not unto ourselves alone are we born” — at the core of his teaching ethos, carrying lessons from his undergraduate education in and beyond the classroom.
“One of the most important lessons I learned from Willamette as an educator wasn’t taught: it was shown through professors connecting with students throughout my whole experience,” he continues. “Where else can you play basketball three days a week with a professor like Nathan Sivers Boyce? Those deep relationships were vital to my Willamette education.”
