Scott Barton, Principal of The Preuss School at UC San Diego, Honored by Local Rotary

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The La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary announced that the recipient of the 2018 Hahn Visionary Award is Scott Barton, principal of The Preuss School UCSD, a charter middle and high school on the University of California San Diego campus for low income students who strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college. Barton received the honor in recognition of his contributions to the quality of life in San Diego’s Golden Triangle.

The La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary, which is comprised of 100 local businesses and civic-minded leaders, has had a longstanding relationship with The Preuss School spanning 18 years. The rotary supports The Preuss School with a portion of proceeds from rotary events and fundraisers. In addition, members of the rotary serve as mentors and tutors to support students at The Preuss School.

“I am extremely honored to receive this prestigious award from the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary,” said Barton. “The rotary has proved to be a dedicated supporter of The Preuss School and our mission for nearly two decades, which makes this award all the more meaningful.”

Barton is a founding faculty member of The Preuss School and served as the school’s dean of students for nine years before becoming principal in 2008. During his time at the school, Preuss has grown from 150 students in grades 6-8 to more than 800 students in grades 6-12, and become one of the top ranked high schools in the nation. Graduates from The Preuss School are consistently accepted to four-year colleges and universities at a rate of more than 90 percent, and almost 100 percent go on to some form of higher education. 

An educator with more than 30 years of experience teaching in the San Diego Unified School District, Barton began his teaching career at Hale Junior High and also taught math and computer literacy at Wangenheim Junior High. He served as a resource teacher and ASB advisor at Hoover High School prior to joining The Preuss School faculty in 1999.

The Hahn Visionary Award was created in 1993 to honor the late Ernest “Ernie” W. Hahn, a pioneer of the modern shopping mall. His San Diego-based Hahn Company opened University Towne Centre (UTC) in 1977. UTC was the first mixed-use town center in the country; it featured housing, an ice skating rink and the Mingei International Museum. He is recognized for laying the foundation for the prosperity of the area now known as the Golden Triangle. Hahn also played a pivotal role in the redevelopment of downtown San Diego, with the opening of Horton Plaza in 1985.

The La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club has served the greater San Diego community since 1986.  The club supports more than 45 local non-profits and programs annually and has completed more than 320 projects around the world.