Much to the dismay of former students who loved his sense of humor, easygoing attitude, and interesting teaching style, former physics teacher Jason Mosley left his job teaching to join the Navy and board a nuclear submarine.

Mosley had been planning on leaving through his fifth, and last, year of teaching.

“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do,” Mosley said. “My father was in the navy as a guided missile control. … It just something that’s always been in heart, that I’ve always wanted to follow, I just didn’t know when. “

Mosley found his opportunity this year, as he quit his teaching job for the call of a nuclear sub. Mosley leaves for officer candidate school in Rhode Island for 14 weeks, followed by 2 years of nuclear power school in South Carolina. Then, after boot camp, he’ll embark on a submarine for 4 years.

Once aboard, Mosley will manage the naval reactors and nuclear technology.

“There are nuclear power stations around the country and around the world that I could be responsible, depending on where they want to place me,” Mosley said.

While 28 is relatively young, taking such a drastic career change at this age is very uncommon.

“Everyone here at the high school has definitely kept me young,” Mosley said. “(I’ll miss) late nights with science Olympiad, building stuff, as well as all the trips, building the projects with Physics, getting myself into trouble with administration for knocking out power lines with bowling balls and things like that. I’ll miss all that.”

After the Navy, Mosley would like to further his teaching career, considering becoming a professor with the masters physics degree he will earn in the Navy.

“Regardless I would like to come back and visit everybody and catch up. I’ll be back every year or so,” Mosley said, noting that he appreciates all the help he received from his fellow teachers.

“Thank you for everything,” Mosley said. “These years have been the best experience I could possibly imagine with the students and staff here. And the science department, for always been in full support of whatever crazy decision I make.”

Mosley speaks highly of his experience at Tomball, the classes he taught and the students he affected, and been affected by in turn.

“It shocked me at first; he didn’t seem like the Navy type. But when I found out he was doing nuclear engineering it made a lot more sense … he’s really smart,” said Mosley’s former student, London Johnson. “I miss him, I took environmental science because I thought he was going to be the teacher.”

Along with gaining the appreciation of his students at Tomball, Mosley also says that he has learned practical lessons that he can apply in the Navy as well.

“Let’s say the sub is stalled… we’re low on supplies and the enemy is close by. I can always just build a trebuchet and hurl stuff at them,” he joked.