There are some people who choose a career during their first or second year in college. Then there are those that realize their passion for things in life early on – people like Paul Olejniczak.

Before teaching at De Anza College, Olejniczak was actively involved in managing and running his own weather service on news channel NBC’s forecast in Carnegie, Pa. Now a meteorology and astronomy professor at De Anza, Olejniczak has always carried a passion for studying the mysteries of the sky. As a teenager in junior high, he was certain that he wanted to become a meteorologist. Even after 44 years, that passionate flame burns bright.

He says that of the many things that attract him to meteorology, the challenge of weather forecasting is the most intriguing characteristic of the field.

“That’s what makes meteorology an art and a science,” Olejniczak said. “The universe is overwhelmingly large, there’s so much we just don’t know. It’s a mystery.”

Always wanting to spread the knowledge of his much-loved sciences, he began teaching 11 years ago.

Olejniczak says he loves explaining, and was encouraged to go into teaching. When others told him that his explanations were able to make these subjects seem easier, he was overjoyed. Because of his passion for teaching, he often allows students to enroll in his classes the limit, confident that the quality of the subject’s material are not compromised. According to Olejniczak, the subjects he teaches, such as “Stellar Astronomy” and “The Solar System,” are applied sciences, so that the instruction does not need to be rigorous.

In his spare time, Olejniczak enjoys activities dissimilar from what he teaches. As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, he enjoys watching American football.

“[In my spare time] I like to work with my hands, something different from working with my mind all day,” he said.

Among those activities, dance struck a chord with the meteorologist. His passion for dancing was a close second to his love for science: he starred as a dancer in the 1969 American musical film “Hello Dolly.”

As advice for potential meteorology students, Olejniczak said, “The sky is the limit—no pun intended. Weather is a key science, it is important because we are always facing climate change.”

Olejniczak says that the weather is always affecting people, and people can pursue many careers in the field. This has inspired students in this field of science.

One of his past students, initially a pilot, went on to pursue a career in meteorology by becoming a hurricane hunter. Another student he taught attended Pennsylvania State University to study meteorology, the same school Olejniczak himself graduated from before attending Duquesne University.