You can find Assistant Director of Buildings and Grounds (B&G) Dylan Satter all across campus, whether it be operating the Zamboni in the Omni or cruising around in a golf cart. He has been an ever-present pillar of the Nobles community for some time now. However, while we may hear his name revered by faculty in assembly presentations, many students don’t actually know who he is.
During his 20-year tenure at Nobles, Satter’s role on campus has evolved substantially. In contrast to some alumni faculty members and those who come from outside Nobles, his journey here began when he was 17, working at the Nobles Day Camp. After three years, he began searching for a larger role at the school, which eventually became his full-time job at B&G. Over the next five years, he learned the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the Nobles campus, from running maintenance at the Castle to operating a forklift.
Now, as the Assistant Director of B&G, both his responsibilities and his emotional ties to this campus have grown. In 2014, he decided to live on campus with his family. “Living at your work is not for everybody. But, for some reason, from the moment I set foot on this campus, I never felt that way. I found a home in this community; it just never seemed like something I needed to separate myself from,” Satter said.
In a similar vein, Satter also became involved in coin roll hunting (CRH). CRH is the practice of obtaining coin rolls from the bank, opening them, and searching for particularly shiny ones, which are actually pieces of American history. Before 1964, the U.S. still produced many coins made of silver. Now, America regards silver as a valuable metal, so if one finds silver coins in a coin roll from the bank, they can make a serious profit. “I’ve put away roughly $6,000 from coin roll hunting,” Satter said. He applies a similar practice to bills as well. Old bills are usually taken out of circulation and destroyed, but if you ask for them, some bank tellers will give them to you. Due to their historical value, a $5 bill could be worth $10, creating an easy stream of profit. “[Whereas] most hobbies cost you money, my hobbies tend to make me money,” Satter said.
However, for Satter, it’s not about the money. In fact, he finds more meaning in the historical value of what he finds through CRH rather than in its monetary worth. “As I’ve gotten older, I really started to appreciate the history of things,” Satter said. Fittingly, he also connects with history through metal detecting and being outside, where his enthusiasm is strongest.
“I love fishing and going for hikes. I love visiting New Hampshire, seeing waterfalls, and hiking the Kancamagus Highway. I love the times I can be outside,” he said. Eventually, this passion for the outdoors, coupled with the boredom imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, gave rise to a new interest: metal detecting. “Around COVID, my father-in-law and I were looking for stuff to do. Nobody wanted to be crammed inside all day. So he asked me, ‘Hey, I’m going to do some metal detecting. Do you want to come with me?’ I [agreed], bought a metal detector, and we started spending time together outside,” Satter said. During his expeditions for buried treasure, Satter has found cutlery, horseshoes, and even silver nickels from 1899, which he discovered on the Nobles Cross Country course.
However, metal detecting is more than just an activity; it’s an opportunity to spend time with his wife and children. “We push hard to be outside as much as we can. It’s not as much fun just going for a walk in a field as finding treasure. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a dime or a penny; it’s treasure, and they love it. So it’s given me a good excuse to get them outside,” Satter said. Satter hopes that his newfound passions continue in his children and that they, too, will appreciate nature and history alike.
Dylan Satter is so much more than the Assistant Director of B&G. He is a history enthusiast, a coin roll hunter, a metal detector aficionado, and, most importantly, a family man who simply loves being outside.
