El Molino High School alum Mark Fairbank is heading to meet President Barack Obama.

Fairbank, El Mo class of ’75, was given the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for California and in October will meet the president along with about 100 other honored teachers from across the country.

“I’m pretty excited about meeting him and being part of the whole thing,” Fairbank said.

Fairbank will win a $10,000 award and an all expenses paid, week-long trip to Washington D.C.

Fairbank, who has spent nearly three decades in teaching, has spent the last 26 years at Paso Robles High School. He also lectures across the country.

“California really does do a poor job with funding education because I have something to compare it to,” he said.

Part of the week’s activities in October will include a meeting with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the future of science and math curriculum.

The much lauded teacher says hasn’t always been as good as he is today.

Fairbank remembers being a rookie teacher setting up experiments on light rays using combs, flashlights and hand-held lenses. After the first class, he checked each kit to make sure no jokesters walked off with his supplies.

Flashlights? Check. Combs? Check. Lenses? Check.

The next class walked in and tried to get to work.

“Mr. Fairbank, there are no batteries in our flashlights.”

“You are the new guy, so they try everything on you and because you have never experienced that,” he said with a laugh.

Fairbank said his teaching has evolved every year. Now he won’t allow students in his chemistry and physics classes to take notes until he is sure everyone has nailed the concepts.

He uses skits, music and lots of experiments to make sure all students and all types of learners get the concepts.

When October roles around and he gets to meet the president, Fairbank is still considering what he’ll say.

A fellow athlete, Fairbank is pondering tapping Obama’s love of basketball and asking for a pickup game.