By Josie Salazar
City Times
San Diego City College has its very own weatherman and jazz artist on campus. But you won’t see Dave Scott in front of the camera singing about jazzy weather patterns in his signature bow tie as he does on KUSI Channel 51 and playing his favorite club.
Instead, you’ll find him in City’s TV studio teaching students Media Performance in the Radio Television Department, guiding students to, “Craft their own style . become their own personality.”
In his 13 years as an adjunct instructor at City, he has helped to train students such as Jeff Powers and countless others who have gone on to become many of San Diego’s broadcasters and journalists.
“It’s nice to have someone in the news business to teach the class,” said Leslie Catanese, a student majoring in communications.
“It feels wonderful to see people who are like me and be able to help them in anyway, makes you feel worthwhile as a human being,” Scott said.
“It’s a big opportunity that he works in the field and you can benefit from his words of experience,” noted Job Marin, a student in the RTVC program.
“He teaches about if you are giving the news, the number one thing is to make the audience feel involved,” Marin added.
Scott found his passion for broadcasting almost by accident. While selling and repairing typewriters as a young man to teleprompters at a local television station, he happened to land a tour of the news set in which at the moment he walked in, the studio lights came on illuminating his soon to be role model weatherman Bob Dale, (which he wears the bow tie in honor of) placing the old weather icon magnets on a weather map.
Scott graduated from Grossmont College with an Associates Degree and a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from San Diego State University. While he completed his courses in broadcasting at city, Scott also interned at local Radio and Television stations including City’s own KSDS Jazz 88.3. There he did voices with DJ Randy Miller, like Mr. Hammy from ‘Green Acres’.
Director of the Radio Television Department, John Hildebrand is pleased to have Scott teaching. “Dave is a nice guy … he has helped out with a few other projects, international workshops and by sitting on panels.”
Scott worked in Yuma and Tuscan Arizona as a local weatherman. Later he earned a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology from Mississippi State University. He then moved back to San Diego, his hometown where he says that he feels blessed to be able to work in his hometown.
In addition to predicting the weather on KUSI 51, he also is a feature reporter where he has a children’s show, “Wonders of the Wild” and teaches meteorology at Grossmont College.
Scott has one more talent to add to his repertoire. He is a jazz artist in a local band playing the trombone, singing and writing albums. He also is an accomplished soloist, playing various clubs around the city.
