North Hollywood High School Highly Gifted Magnet history teacher John McCollaum passed away February 20. Beloved at the school, he inspired students to love history with his passion, charisma, storytelling, deep knowledge, sense of humor, and of course, his deep authoritative voice.

Mr. McCollaum was clear about how much he loved teaching — and specifically how much he loved teaching HGM students. This is a profound loss. May his memory always bring a smile and may he continue to inspire you all to find your inner historian.