Perhaps no one currently on campus has been at Highline longer than Dr. T.M. Sell.

Dr. T.M. Sell is a professor of Political Science and Economy at Highline, and has a history with the school that transcends his time as an instructor. In addition to his current position, Dr. Sell has also worked closely with the Thunderword in the past.

“T.M. was our journalism instructor and the advisor for the Thunderword,” said Lisa Voso, coordinator of the Communications Department and Dr. Sell’s previous boss.

The Thunderword faculty advisor is responsible for making sure that students can come in and do their job with proper guidance.

“T.M. is passionate about journalism, our students, and the Thunderword. He built the journalism program at Highline and has made an impact on hundreds of students over the years – helping them grow as writers, critical thinkers, and team players,” Voso said.

Dr. T.M. Sell may have been the faculty advisor for the Thunderword since 1996, but his time with the Thunderword began when he worked as a student from 1976 to 1978. He started off as a sports reporter, and eventually ended up as the editor for several quarters.

“When I was an editor, we won an award at a national level for best in the country,” Dr. Sell said.

However, that may not have been the best thing for his ego, he added. “It was the worst thing that could have happened. Never believe your own reviews.” Additionally, Dr. Sell has described himself as the “village idiot with a PhD.”

One Highline professor recalls meeting Dr. Sell during his time as a student.

“Believe it or not I first met Dr. T.M. in 1976 when he was a student reporter for the Thunderword,” said Dr. Bob Baugher, a professor with the Psychology Department at Highline.

“I was teaching a General Psych class here at Highline and had taken my students outside for a blind walk in which one student guided another who wore a blindfold. T.M. noticed this, came up to me, introduced himself and asked what I was doing with my students. He ended up writing an article on the event, an article I still have somewhere in my archives,” said Dr. Baugher.

“I lost track of him for the next 15-20 years until he landed an instructor position at Highline,” he added.

Highline has been a large part of Dr. T.M. Sell’s life, but it goes even further back than his time attending as a student.

“My father taught here. I’ve basically been here since I was 9, in some capacity,” said Dr. Sell.

“T.M. is part of the Sell dynasty, a family that has given so very much to Highline over the years,” said Laura Manning, a professor in Highline’s Communication Studies Department.

“His father Phil was a long-time engineering instructor; his sister Melissa worked here for decades too, ending up in Institutional Advancement. T.M. himself has taught in numerous departments here, emphasizing for students the importance of paying attention to the lessons that history, political science, and journalism have to teach us. His commitment to mentoring and shaping emerging reporters is deep,” said Manning.

Before working full-time at Highline, Dr. Sell was working for the Seattle P.I. under contract for six months. He had been teaching some classes at Highline since 1986, but it wasn’t until 1996 that he made teaching at Highline a full-time gig.

“People kept quitting. Highline kept calling saying ‘you want to come teach?’” Dr. Sell said.

Throughout his time at Highline, many have observed the effect that Dr. Sell has had on his students.

“T.M. has been a great asset to Highline,” said Lonnie Somer, a professor in Highline’s Anthropology Department.

“I’m more familiar with his work shaping beginning reporters for the Thunderword, having both read each issue and having been interviewed by some of them over the years. Teaching students how to ferret out stories, conduct interviews, know which questions to ask, and then accurately writing about them within the allotted space takes knowledge, experience, and patience,” Somer said.

Dr. Sell was especially dedicated to the newsroom, as he made sure that his students could always find him there, said Ruth Frickle, a professor in the Psychology Department.

“For most of his career here, T.M. did not use his faculty office more than once or twice a quarter,” said Frickle.

“This is because he spent his time in the newsroom in Building 10. He was there to hang out with, mentor, and support students. While that isn’t his residence any longer, he’s in his office in Building 15 and still reliably available to students.  It’s nice to see him more often, and I hope that students continue to seek him out here too,” she added.

One professor remembers how T.M. had certain expectations for his students.

“I have usually worked with T.M. in the context of him supervising the journalism students covering our men’s basketball teams,” said Dr. Ché Dawson, a professor in the Legal Studies Department and men’s basketball head coach at Highline.

“He has always been an instructor with very high standards and accountability for his students. T.M. is always collegial and very easy to work with,” said Dr. Dawson.

Dr. Sell hasn’t just affected his students, however, as throughout the years he’s cooperated with several other faculty and staff.

“Dr. T.M. is a colleague I could always count on to give me his opinion on anything,” said Dr. Bob Baugher. “Over the years I’ve seen him challenge his students to become better writers and better critical thinkers.”

“This is a man who has infinite curiosity about the world. He constantly asks questions and comes up with new ways of seeing the world around him. He is a hard worker and greatly enjoys working with students,” Dr. Baugher said.

Dr. John Mosby, the president of Highline College has described Dr. Sell as having “strong professionalism and dedication to serving campus through the paper and instruction.” 

“He has also done a great job teaching and mentoring students throughout his career,” he said. “T.M. is and will always be ‘Highline Royalty,’” he added.

Rumors have been going around of Dr. Sell’s retirement, but it’s not quite time for that yet, Dr. Sell said.

“I’m still teaching. When I stopped advising the Thunderword, a number of people thought I retired, but I’m still teaching economics and political science,” he said.

“As far as stepping back from the Thunderword, it was just time since I’m not going to last forever. Last fall, I took a leave to develop a course, and that was a good time to pass the baton,” he added.

There have been thousands of editions of the Thunderword, but the ones that stick out the most are the ones where the Thunderword staff were able to get quick turnarounds of extreme situations.

“We’ve had a few good journalism moments. We got the paper out the day after the Nisqually earthquake in 2001.”

The Nisqually earthquake affected much of western Washington and could be felt from several of the surrounding states. 

There was also an active shooter incident on Highline’s campus that happened in 2018, of which the Thunderword staff was also on top of covering.

“We did a good job covering the gun incident. It was a few years ago, but the campus was in lockdown. There was an active shooter report. The students won an award for their coverage.”

There’s a lot to appreciate about having worked with the Thunderword and Highline, but being able to see that people moved on to have good lives is one of his favorite parts of the job, said Dr. Sell.

“I had a lot of good students over the years. Campus was really supportive,” he said. “To see people are doing well, that’s the best part.”

Outside of Highline and the newsrooms, Dr. T.M. Sell has also authored several books.

“I’ve written three books. I’m at work on a fourth. My third book should be coming out this fall, it’s called ‘Government and Politics in Washington State: The People’s Business.’”

In addition to being a professor, a journalist, and an author, Dr. Sell has also dipped his entrepreneurial hands in theater.

“For a dozen years, my late wife and I ran a theater company. I wrote plays and she wrote music to go with them.”

Dr. Sell’s hobbies aren’t limited to what he does for work, however, and he likes to stay active, he said.

“I like to lift weights. I walk my dogs. I have a garden and an orchard, and when I can I like to travel.”

As accomplished as he may be, Dr. Sell still has more that he would like to accomplish, largely centered around his students.

“My goal for the last several years is to get students to where I eventually got, but much quicker.”

To aid students with that, he leaves them with a nugget of knowledge he wishes he had learned sooner.

“The point of every question that you answer in college is to convince the professor you understand the material. It’s not enough to be clever.”