Richard Shipin is a drone instructor and math teacher for The Delta Academy charter school in North Las Vegas. With a day school, online school, and a hybrid option, The Delta Academy offers different modalities of learning for students in the Las Vegas Valley. Learn about Richard Shipin…
Follow at: @richieshipin
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
First job: Abercrombie & Fitch greeter.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in NV: Dirt biking and filming Nevada’s amazing landscapes with my drone are some of my favorite ways to spend my free time.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: My biggest accomplishment is when I purchased my first house. For the first time in my adult life, I felt as though I was truly stable.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: I can’t point to one thing in particular, but I can point to an extended time in my life when I was not making much money, but also trying to establish myself in the world. No one wants to hear this, but it took hard work to get out of that. Making connections and learning helped propel me out of that stage in my life and into my career.
Someone who inspires you and why: Singer Brandon Flowers inspires me. He contributes to the Make-A-Wish Foundation by raising funds and awareness for it. He uses his platform to fund AIDS research organizations, such as the RED campaign. Flowers also has been known to donate large proceeds of his concerts to various charitable organizations. He also writes amazing music and is the lead singer of my favorite band, The Killers.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Be persistent and obtain certification. This goes across all fields, but anyone can become an erudite with the right growth mindset and the certification that comes along with it. Enroll in classes, study, find out what it takes to become a “professional,” and then go from there.
Favorite quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” –Theodore Roosevelt
I believe that obsessively comparing yourself to others can detract from your own happiness and self-fulfillment.
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: I am a ranked USA Powerlifting competitor for the bench press.
What makes someone fabulous: I really think what makes someone fabulous is being your authentic self. People can see you for who you really are, and you can connect to people on a more personal level through your authenticity. Showing charisma and confidence while also remaining humble and generous are qualities in a fabulous person, as well.